Choi Sooyoung-Jung Kyung-ho. Provided by CJ ENM
Sooyoung, a Girls’ Generation member and actor, and Jung Kyung-hoonce one of the entertainment industry’s longest-running coupleshave finally ended their 14-year relationship.
On the 9th, Sooyoung’s agency Saram Entertainment and Jung Kyung-ho’s agency Management Oreum issued an official statement: “The two have broken up.” According to both sides, they grew distant recently due to increasingly busy schedules and naturally decided to end their romantic relationship.
Indeed, breakup rumors spread quickly online that day. Some netizens checked Sooyoung and Jung Kyung-ho’s social media accounts and noticed they were not following each other, prompting a wave of speculation that “they must have broken up.” As the related suspicions grew, both agencies directly acknowledged the split, confirming the rumors as true.
Sooyoung and Jung Kyung-ho began dating in 2012 and kept their love going for a full 14 years. When their relationship started, Sooyoung was 22 and Jung Kyung-ho was 29. Having spent time together from Sooyoung’s early twenties to her mid-thirties today, many fans had all but taken their marriage for granted.
Online reactions include: “I naturally thought they would get married,” “At this point, weren’t they practically family?”, “They were such a well-matched couple, which makes it all the more disappointing,” “So the end of a long-term relationship is a breakup after all?”, and “So shocking.” In particular, many commented, “It’s surprising that Sooyoung maintained a public relationship with one person from age 22 until now.”
Above all, fans’ disappointment has grown because, until recently, the two had been naturally mentioning each other.
YouTube channel ‘Hyoyeon’s Level Up’
In December last year, Jung Kyung-ho appeared on Girls’ Generation member Hyoyeon’s YouTube channel, indirectly referencing Sooyoung and showing his affection. Even before that, through broadcasts, interviews, and YouTube content, they mentioned each other freely, showing an unchanging relationship.
Given that as recently as five months ago they were publicly referring to one another with affection, the sudden breakup is being received by many as unexpected news.
Also, when Girls’ Generation member Tiffany shared news of her marriage to actor Byun Yo-han last December, attention naturally turned to Sooyoung and Jung Kyung-ho. As Tiffany reached marriage before the pair who had maintained a long-term public relationship, reactions poured in asking, “When will Sooyoung and Jung Kyung-ho get married?”
With the two, long at the center of marriage rumors, ultimately delivering news not of marriage but of a breakup, fans’ disappointment has only grown.
