After the success of "Under the Shadow" - a movie that just broke the box office record in Korea - the name Yoo Hae Jin continues to become the focus of attention.
Not only because of his persistent film career, the actor's private life, especially his love affair with Kim Hye Soo, is also recalled as a typical story of Korean showbiz.
In the context of the Korean entertainment industry, which places heavily emphasis on appearance standards, the relationship between actor Yoo Hae Jin and Kim Hye Soo once faced a lot of pressure.
When dating information was made public, the couple was quickly associated with the phrase "Beauty and beast" - a way of referring to the clear difference in appearance between the two stars.
Kim Hye Soo is originally an icon of beauty and charm of the Korean screen, while Yoo Hae Jin is famous for her roles that are ordinary, even somewhat edgy.
This contrast makes many viewers skeptical about their relationship, questioning the "proportion" according to showbiz's familiar standards.
In fact, the two met in the early 2000s and gradually developed feelings after collaborating on many projects, including the movie "Tazza: The High Rollers". After a period of denying rumors, in 2008, they officially admitted to dating.
During the period of publicizing their relationship, the couple received both support and opposition. A part of the audience appreciated Yoo Hae Jin's sincerity and personality, while many others still maintained the view that appearance is an important factor in stars' "matching".
Kim Hye Soo herself once expressed her opinion quite clearly about love affairs. She believes that appearance is not the decisive factor, while personality and sincerity are important. These shares partly explain why the actress chose to stick with Yoo Hae Jin despite public pressure.
However, this relationship did not last long. In 2012, the two confirmed their breakup after a period of dating. According to many sources, the reason came from differences in personality and life views. Yoo Hae Jin is said to be serious about marriage, while Kim Hye Soo does not put much emphasis on getting married.
In addition, the family factor is also considered to have a certain influence. Some information indicates that Kim Hye Soo's family does not support this relationship, contributing to creating more pressure for both.
Despite breaking up, Yoo Hae Jin and Kim Hye Soo still maintain a respectful colleague relationship. They have appeared together at events, including the moment Kim Hye Soo presented the award to Yoo Hae Jin at the Blue Dragon Awards ceremony, showing mutual support even when they are no longer a couple.
Looking back, the love story between Yoo Hae Jin and Kim Hye Soo is not only a private matter of the two artists, but also partly reflects the image pressure in the Korean entertainment industry. When audiences are familiar with couples "compared" in appearance, relationships that go beyond stereotypes easily become topics of debate.
From another perspective, this love also shows a little-mentioned aspect of Yoo Hae Jin. Behind the image of a talented actor, often associated with ordinary roles, is a private person in personal life, rarely sharing about love affairs.
Currently, as her career continues to flourish with successful projects such as "Under the Shadow", Yoo Hae Jin still maintains a simple lifestyle and is relatively separated from the noisy showbiz life. Meanwhile, Kim Hye Soo is still one of the leading actresses, and maintains her single choice at the age of U60.
