The surprise marriage announcement by broadcaster and painter Solbi, 42, and actor Lee Gyu-han, 46, has captured public attention — and it turns out a variety show from a year ago brought them together.
Solbi's agency, Jian Castle, said Thursday that the couple plan to hold a wedding ceremony in April next year, adding that both families have already met.
Since the pair had never been publicly linked, fans and media alike are now asking when their romance began.
The two grew close rapidly while filming "Oraedoen Mannam Chugu 3," a matchmaking program that aired last July on KBS Joy, KBS2 and GTV. The show brings together solo entertainers who have known each other as colleagues and follows them on dates to explore romantic potential.
Solbi and Lee appeared on the program under the concept of reuniting after roughly eight years — their last encounter had been on a show called "Oppa Saenggak" in 2017 — and went on several dates that played out on screen.
On the show, Lee confessed that he had seen Solbi as a woman from the outset. "You were always a woman to me," he said. "I regretted that we never got closer when we met on that earlier show." When Solbi asked, "If we had gone out for drinks back then, would you have asked for my number?" Lee replied, "Of course I would have."
When Lee asked, "If things go well on the show, would you consider marriage?" Solbi answered, "At my age, marriage is definitely something I'm open to."
Lee also told fellow cast members, "Being around Solbi makes me feel like a really great man," adding, "I'm not sure yet if it's romantic, but I just really like her."
Solbi chose Lee in the finale, but Lee declined to make his own selection, so the two did not end up as an official couple on the show.
After the cameras stopped rolling, however, they began a serious relationship in private — and are now set to become husband and wife.
paq@heraldcorp.com
