South Korean actor Lee Kyu-han (이규한) and singer-painter Soopi (권지안), whose real name is Kwon Ji-an, surprised fans yesterday, Oct. 15, with the news of their upcoming marriage. The couple is set to hold a private wedding in April 2027, an announcement that has garnered significant attention. This news comes as a surprise, given Lee Kyu-han’s past candid admissions about his strong aversion to marriage, even identifying as close to a non-maritalist, his reluctance to hold a wedding, and his concerns about having children due to his upbringing. His sudden decision to marry has brought a poignant family history back into the spotlight.
Soopi’s agency, Jian Castle, released an official statement on Oct. 15, confirming that the couple has decided to spend their lives together, built on mutual trust and love. It is understood that both families recently held a formal meeting. The wedding is scheduled for April 2027 and will be a private affair, attended only by family, relatives and close friends. The exact date and location have not yet been disclosed.
Following the wedding announcement, remarks made by Lee Kyu-han during his appearance on Channel A’s variety show “Groom Class” (신랑수업) in 2023 have resurfaced. At the time, he confessed that until the previous year, he held a negative view of marriage, even considering himself close to a non-maritalist, with no intention of getting married. However, he also stated that he had begun to contemplate whether he could try a life completely different from his past.
During the show, a friend who has known Lee Kyu-han for 25 years revealed that he places great importance on physical appearance when choosing a partner. Lee Kyu-han admitted that he had indeed met partners who fit his ideal type, but relationships always ended due to his own issues, with partners complaining about his numerous demands.
When his friend joked that he wasn't unwilling to marry but simply couldn't, Lee Kyu-han directly stated his strong aversion to holding a wedding. He confessed, “Among all the words in the world, the word ‘groom’ feels the most distant from me.” He even found filming wedding scenes in dramas incredibly uncomfortable and unbearable.
Beyond the wedding itself, having children was also a major concern for him in past relationships. Lee Kyu-han explained that he had reached an age where he needed to seriously consider his future. Therefore, whenever he met a potential partner, he would contemplate whether they could accept not having a wedding and not having children. He believed that if he stated these two conditions upfront, few people would likely be willing to accept them.
His concerns about having children were largely linked to his childhood experiences. Lee Kyu-han once revealed that he was often alone as a child, with few adults around to care for him. He worried whether he would be able to properly care for a child when he grew up, and even feared he wouldn't know how to face his own flesh and blood.
While discussing these personal struggles, Lee Kyu-han further revealed that he was raised solely by his mother. When the show's host asked if he had a fear of weddings, he recalled a scene from his sister’s wedding, and his emotions gradually overwhelmed him. Lee Kyu-han reminisced that his sister married later in life, and on her wedding day, as the eldest son, he sat beside his mother in the main family seating, taking his father's place. He confessed that he tried to act nonchalant at the time, but he was deeply pained inside.
He then choked up, stating, “At that moment, I suddenly thought, when I get married, who will sit next to my mother?” He also admitted that he didn’t want to see his mother sitting alone in the main family seating at his own wedding. These words deeply moved the guests, and the host comforted him, assuring him that his mother would surely consider her son’s wedding one of the happiest days of her life.
Now, Lee Kyu-han has not only overcome his past aversion to marriage but has also officially announced his upcoming wedding to Soopi, bringing his past struggles back into discussion. However, the couple has not yet disclosed the specific arrangements for the wedding, and whether his mother will be accompanied by other family members in the main family seating remains to be seen.
Notably, Lee Kyu-han also had a previously public relationship. He met Yujeong (유정), a former member of the girl group BB GIRLS, who is 11 years his junior, while filming a variety show in early 2023. In September of the same year, their agencies confirmed they were dating. During their relationship, the couple often shared their interactions and openly displayed affection on Instagram, drawing public attention.
Unexpectedly, this relationship lasted only about a year, with the couple announcing their breakup in August 2024. After the split, both parties deleted their interactions on Instagram and unfollowed each other’s accounts, which sparked considerable discussion at the time. Now, Lee Kyu-han’s new wedding announcement, with Soopi — with whom he had a spark on a dating show — has drawn significant attention to the development of their relationship, from past romance to impending marriage.
