All eyes were peeled at the VIP premiere of the new Disney Plus original series Made in Korea yesterday, but the press wasn’t just looking for the show’s leading man. Reporters were desperate to see if Hyun Bin’s wife, top actress Son Ye Jin, would make an appearance.
The intense scrutiny follows a historic moment at the recent Blue Dragon Film Awards, where the power couple swept both Best Actor and Best Actress. The unprecedented double win sparked backlash in some corners, with critics accusing the awards body of favoring the couple merely to generate buzz and headlines.
Likely wary of the fallout, Son Ye Jin did not appear at the photo wall yesterday.
While photographers kept their cameras ready until the last minute, hoping for a glimpse of the couple together, the red carpet event proceeded with Hyun Bin taking center stage alone. However, insiders on the ground reported that Son Ye Jin was indeed present; she reportedly bypassed the media line and quietly entered the theater through a private entrance to support her husband away from the flashbulbs.
Her absence from the official photo op has immediately sparked debate.
Many industry watchers believe this was a move to avoid reigniting the “publicity stunt” narrative. By keeping a low profile, the couple likely intended to ensure the focus remained on the drama and the cast, rather than their marriage.
Others suggest it may have simply been a matter of logistics or personal scheduling. Red carpet appearances inevitably dominate the news cycle, often overshadowing the actual project. Avoiding the photo wall serves as a way to “distance” their personal life from their professional work.
Meanwhile, Made in Korea is generating its own hype. Set in the turbulent 1970s, the political thriller depicts the clash between Baek Ki Tae (played by Hyun Bin), a man driven by ambition to exploit the country for wealth and power, and Jang Geon Young (Jung Woo Sung), the prosecutor relentlessly hunting him down.
Directed by Woo Min Ho, the series boasts a star-studded cast including Woo Do Hwan, Cho Yeo Jeong, Seo Eun Soo, Won Ji An, and Jung Sung Il.
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