Kim Jong Kook‘s marriage news immediately sparked a frenzy online, with fans revisiting his famous on-screen romance with Yoon Eun Hye from the classic variety show X-Man.
Shortly after the announcement, the search term “Kim Jong Kook Official Marriage Announcement” shot to the #1 spot on Weibo’s real-time search rankings. Related terms also trended, including reports that Kim revealed the news through a handwritten letter to fans, speculation that his recently purchased ₩6.2 billion ($4.5 million) villa is his newlywed home, and claims that even his Running Man castmates were unaware of the marriage.
Notably, the keyword “Kim Jong Kook Yoon Eun Hye” also surged. Fans have passionately supported the pair for nearly two decades since their appearances on the mid-2000s SBS variety show X-Man.
Yoon Eun Hye posted a video of herself practicing for an upcoming Baby V.O.X concert on Instagram on the same day. Her caption included a broken-heart emoji, which quickly caught fans’ attention. In 2022, Yoon officially denied rumors that she and Kim had dated, stating the speculation was untrue.
The announcement also resurfaced Yoon’s recent remarks on her YouTube channel about her ideal partner. “The most important things are character and sincerity,” she shared, emphasizing that sharing the same religion and values was crucial. “Ultimately, sincerity is the most important thing.”
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Chinese fans reacted with a mix of surprise and resignation, leaving comments such as: “I knew something was up when he suddenly moved to that new home”, “I really thought he would marry Yoon Eun Hye”, “It’s time to let the on-screen romance go”, “I can’t believe I’m finally seeing Kim Jong Kook get married.”
Rumors about Kim Jong Kook’s personal life have circulated for years, but speculation reached a peak in April when he purchased a luxury villa in Gangnam for ₩6.2 billion ($4.5 million). Reports that he paid entirely in cash fueled theories that it was intended as a marital home.
Kim himself fueled curiosity with his variety show appearances. On his YouTube channel, he underwent a sperm count test, saying, “I’m thinking of natural conception with the power of my strong sperm, so it’s less difficult for my wife.”
On SBS’s My Little Old Boy, Kim also revealed he had purchased a new washing machine, an unusual move for the notoriously frugal star. One netizen remarked, “Kim Jong Kook is giving away a perfectly good washing machine? Something is strange.” When fellow celebrity Heo Kyung Hwan teased him about revealing a girlfriend, Kim’s silence was widely taken as confirmation.
