Song Joong-ki Frowns After Being Called ‘Song Hye-kyo’s Ex-Husband’
A short clip of Song Joong-ki greeting fans abroad has been making the rounds on social media, and not because of anything he said. When a passer-by asked who he was, someone nearby answered that he was “the man who was married to Song Hye-kyo” — and the actor’s bright smile disappeared for a moment.
What the video shows
In the footage, Song Joong-ki is dressed down in a cap, sweatshirt and jeans, smiling and waving at fans on the street. According to Korean media, a Chinese bystander who did not recognize him asked who he was. The person standing beside them replied: “The one who was married to Song Hye-kyo.”
On hearing that, Song Joong-ki frowned. It lasted only a second or two. He was soon smiling again and went back to greeting local fans. He did not respond to the remark, complain or say anything on camera — the only thing the clip captures is that brief change of expression.
Why the comment struck a nerve with fans
Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo met on the 2016 KBS drama Descendants of the Sun, one of the biggest Korean dramas of the decade, and their real-life romance made them one of Asia’s most-watched couples. They married in October 2017 and divorced in July 2019.
Both have long since moved on. Song Joong-ki married British actress Katy Louise Saunders in 2023, and the couple has two children. Song Hye-kyo went on to lead Netflix’s The Glory.
That is why many viewers in Korea felt the introduction was out of line. The common reaction online: there was no need to describe a man with a wife and two kids by a marriage that ended about seven years ago, simply because the person asking did not know his name. Others noted that the topic could understandably be an uncomfortable one for him.
Has Song Joong-ki said anything?
No. Song Joong-ki has not explained the moment, so any reading of his expression is an interpretation. What the clip does show is a professional reaction: a flicker of discomfort, then straight back to the fans in front of him.
Quick facts
- Song Joong-ki’s wife: Katy Louise Saunders (married 2023), two children
- Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo: co-stars in Descendants of the Sun (2016), married October 2017, divorced July 2019
Photo credits — Song Joong-ki (2021): K-POPIT 케이팝잇 / CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Song Hye-kyo (2025): K-POPIT 케이팝잇 / CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. Photos are file images and were not taken at the event described.
