The 18-year-old romance between South Korean actor Lee Seo-jin (이서진) and actress Kim Jung-eun (김정은), the lead of the classic K-drama “Lovers in Paris,” has recently become a topic of renewed discussion. The couple met while working on a drama, publicly dated, and were even rumored to be marrying, but ultimately broke up. After the split, Lee Seo-jin reportedly flew to Hong Kong and “isolated” himself for about two months. Kim Jung-eun’s recent discussion of the past has brought their story back into the spotlight.
On May 20, the YouTube channel “Hyeyoung Can't Be Stopped” (혜영이는 못말려) released its latest video, featuring Kim Jung-eun as a guest. During the program, she openly discussed past memories, including her feelings at the time of her breakup with Lee Seo-jin 18 years ago.
Kim Jung-eun and Lee Seo-jin met in late 2006 while working on the SBS drama “Lovers” (연인) and developed a romantic relationship off-screen. They publicly announced their relationship and even traveled overseas for a wedding photoshoot, leading to widespread speculation that they were about to marry. However, after approximately two years of dating, they announced their breakup in November 2008.
Following the breakup, Lee Seo-jin flew directly to Hong Kong without publicly stating the reason. Kim Jung-eun, on the other hand, discussed her feelings about the split on her SBS program “Kim Jung-eun's Chocolate” (김정은의 초콜릿), even shedding tears at one point.
Notably, Lee Seo-jin had appeared as a special guest for the first recording of “Kim Jung-eun's Chocolate” in March 2008, where he sang Lim Jae-beom’s (임재범) “Confession” (고해). Kim Jung-eun, sitting in the audience, was visibly moved by his performance.
Eighteen years later, Kim Jung-eun recently revisited why she chose to publicly discuss the breakup on her show. She stated, “Honestly, during ‘Chocolate,’ I didn’t want to leave that kind of image, but there were many reporters waiting outside. If I didn’t state my position, things would have become even more complicated. To be frank, it was truly absurd. It would have been fine to run away, or to not say anything.”
Kim Jung-eun then revealed that other guests and the production team of the show were likely forced to wait because of her situation, which put immense pressure on her. “To some extent, we also had to bravely face it. Instead of hiding, I thought, ‘Am I making so many people wait and stopping things because of me? Okay, I’m truly sorry, I’ll handle all of this.’”
At the time, close associates of Lee Seo-jin also told Korean media that he looked very sad whenever Kim Jung-eun was mentioned before their breakup. He even reportedly said, “In this situation, can I really break up with Kim Jung-eun?”
The insider stated that Lee Seo-jin’s decision to break up seemed to stem from insurmountable problems between them. He reportedly expressed his anguish at the time, saying, “After breaking up, can I still stay in the entertainment industry?” He even worried that he “might have to consider retirement.”
Regarding the various rumors circulating at the time, the insider specifically emphasized, “The problems between them were the biggest reason, more so than the rumors circulating outside. Don’t only the people involved truly know what happens between a man and a woman?” urging the public not to over-speculate.
After the breakup, Lee Seo-jin moved to Hong Kong without much explanation. He later recalled staying in Hong Kong for over two months, even considering not returning to Korea. Lee Seo-jin revealed, “At that time, I had no intention of returning to Korea. I didn’t even turn on my Korean phone; I only used the Hong Kong phone a friend gave me. I stayed for about two months.” He described that experience as the most severe crisis of his life, “not a crisis I encountered in my 30s, but the biggest crisis in my entire life.”
This experience has left a deep impact on Lee Seo-jin to this day. He admitted, “After that incident, I always prepare for immigration. Even if I have to leave suddenly one day, I need to have a foundation to start over immediately.”
After leaving Hong Kong, Lee Seo-jin did not return to the screen until August 2009 with the MBC drama “Soul” (혼). Now, 18 years later, that tumultuous romance has been revisited, prompting renewed public interest in the untold story behind their breakup.
