Ha Jung-woo's bride-to-be set to gain an unusual family dynamic

Actor Ha Jung-woo, whose real name is Kim Sung-hoon, has announced his marriage to actor Cha Jung-won, born Cha Mi-young, drawing attention to the family she is about to marry into.

Ha is 48 and Cha is 36, making them 12 years apart in age.

The family dynamics on Ha's side are expected to create a notably complex set of relationships for Cha.

Her future father-in-law is actor Kim Yong-geon, who turns 80 this year. Kim divorced his first wife — Ha's biological mother — in 1996. It emerged in 2021 that he had fathered a late-in-life son with a woman identified only as A, who is seven years younger than Ha.

The woman who would effectively serve as Cha's mother-in-law, A, was born in 1985 — just four years before Cha, who was born in 1989. Whether A and Kim Yong-geon are dating, in a common-law union, or legally married has not been confirmed.

Cha will also gain two brothers-in-law. One is actor Cha Hyun-woo, whose real name is Kim Young-hoon, 46, whom Kim Yong-geon had with his first wife. The other is the 5-year-old son Kim had with A.

Cha Hyun-woo married actor Hwang Bo-ra, 43, in 2022, meaning Cha Jung-won will have a sunbae — a senior in the industry who is seven years her elder — as a sister-in-law. Cha Hyun-woo and Hwang Bo-ra welcomed a son two years ago.

Kim Yong-geon touched on his youngest child during a 2024 appearance on the Channel A variety program "Dad Is a Middle-Aged Flower," saying he had been wondering how his son would one day explain their family situation as he grew older.