Jang Dong-yoon's Marriage Announcement Sparks Controversy Over Past Crowdfunding for Fiancee's Film

South Korean actor Jang Dong-yoon (장동윤) first rose to public attention after assisting in the apprehension of a robber at a convenience store, an incident reported by SBS News that earned him the moniker "the handsome college student who caught a robber" before he entered the entertainment industry. This morning (25th), he suddenly announced his marriage to actress Kim Seung-yoon (김승윤), who is five years his junior and with whom he has been in a long-term relationship. The couple plans to hold their wedding in October this year. The news came as a shock to many, as the pair had never been involved in dating rumors previously.

Kim Seung-yoon has appeared in works such as “The Tale of Nokdu.” Although she and Jang Dong-yoon have a history of collaborations, their private relationship remained largely undisclosed, making the marriage announcement particularly noteworthy.

However, alongside congratulatory messages from fans, Jang Dong-yoon's past crowdfunding campaign for his self-directed film “Kook” has resurfaced. Some fans and netizens have questioned the fundraising method, leading to criticism.

“Kook,” which stars his now-fiancee Kim Seung-yoon as the lead, raised approximately 26.35 million Korean Won (about 590,000 New Taiwan Dollars) through crowdfunding prior to its release. The campaign included fan-centric rewards related to Jang Dong-yoon, bringing the details of the past fundraising effort back into focus following the couple’s marriage announcement. Reportedly, different benefits were offered based on the donation amount; fans who contributed 100,000 Korean Won or more received one ticket to a post-screening Q&A session (GV) for “Kook” and an opportunity to attend a Jang Dong-yoon autograph session.

With the sudden announcement of their marriage, some fans have expressed discomfort with the previous crowdfunding method. They speculate that Jang Dong-yoon might have already been dating Kim Seung-yoon at the time, yet cast her as the lead in his film while also using fan events like autograph sessions to encourage crowdfunding participation. This has led to questions about whether he was “using fan support for a personal project.”

One fan commented, “Jang Dong-yoon directed the film, his girlfriend was the lead actress, and they both attended official events like GVs, but wasn’t the crowdfunding funded by fans?”

Other netizens criticized, saying, “Crowdfunding a movie with fans’ money and then casting your girlfriend as the lead?” “It’s my first time seeing someone make a movie with fans’ money.” “What do they take fans for?” “Using fans’ money to make a movie starring his girlfriend and even holding autograph sessions, that’s too much.” “Is it really necessary for an artist or a big company to crowdfund? It feels like they just don’t want to spend their own money.” “If it’s fan crowdfunding, it’s natural to get criticized for doing it this way. Why can’t they pay for it themselves?” “So, don’t spend money on celebrity chasing.” “It’s a bit disillusioning, this feels like deceiving fans.” “The stingiest thing I’ve seen recently.” “Shouldn’t they explain it to the fans?” These comments quickly made the film’s crowdfunding a central topic of discussion after the marriage announcement.

While the exact start date of Jang Dong-yoon and Kim Seung-yoon’s relationship remains unknown, their professional collaboration dates back to the 2019 drama “The Tale of Nokdu.” Jang Dong-yoon played the male lead, Jeon Nok-du, and Kim Seung-yoon also appeared in the series, marking their first joint project.

In 2023, they collaborated again on the short film “Be My Ears,” which Jang Dong-yoon wrote, directed, and starred in. Kim Seung-yoon played the character “Seung-yoon” and also served as assistant director. For Jang Dong-yoon’s first feature-length directorial work, “Kook,” they once again collaborated as “director + lead actress.”

“Kook,” released in April this year, tells the story of Da-seul, an 18-year-old girl who loves makgeolli (rice wine) and embarks on a journey to find lost kook (a fermentation starter). Jang Dong-yoon was responsible for the script and direction, while Kim Seung-yoon played the lead role of Da-seul. During the film’s release, the two also attended promotional events together. At the media preview and press conference held in April, Jang Dong-yoon appeared as the director, and Kim Seung-yoon attended as the lead actress.

Kim Seung-yoon, five years younger than Jang Dong-yoon, has appeared in various works including “The Tale of Nokdu,” “The Cursed,” “Please Take Care of the Man's Love,” “In the Water,” “Our Day,” and “A Traveler’s Needs.” Most recently, she played Noh Seo-yoon in “Marry Me 1+2.”

Now that the two have officially transitioned from long-time collaborators to marriage, their past joint projects and promotional activities have garnered renewed attention. The controversy surrounding the crowdfunding for “Kook” has unexpectedly become another focal point of discussion, beyond the sudden marriage announcement itself.