Myeongnyang director Kim Han-min to marry pansori master Lee So-young on Nov 15
In short
Kim Han-min, 57, director of the film Myeongnyang, will marry pansori master Lee So-young (이소영), 42, on 15 November at a hotel in Seoul, Korean outlets reported on 19 and 20 October. A representative of Kim confirmed the date to Hankook Ilbo. Outlets said the ceremony will be a party-style event rather than a conventional wedding.
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Kim Han-min, the director of the film Myeongnyang, will marry pansori master Lee So-young (이소영) on 15 November, according to Korean outlets that cited the film industry on 19 and 20 October. Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun said the wedding will take place at a hotel in Seoul's Yongsan district; other outlets said only that it will be in Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Hankook Ilbo quoted a representative of Kim as saying he will hold the wedding on 15 November, and said the bride was known as a traditional musician called a pansori master. It cited an earlier report by MyDaily that the ceremony would be held as a party. Chosun Ilbo also said Kim's side acknowledged the marriage. Several outlets said the couple plan a free-style party that departs from the usual wedding format. Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun and Korea Economic Daily gave Kim's age as 57 and Lee's as 42. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Kim was born in 1969. Hankook Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, CBS NoCut News, Seoul Shinmun and Korea Economic Daily said he made his debut with the 1999 short film 그렇게 김순임은 강두식을 만났다, while Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo said he debuted in 2007 with 극락도 살인사건. His 2011 film 최종병기 활 drew 7.48 million viewers, according to Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun. Myeongnyang drew 17.61 million viewers in 2014, a record for domestic releases that has not been broken, according to Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun. He then completed a trilogy on Yi Sun-sin with Hansan (2022) and Noryang (2023). [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo said Lee won the presidential prize at the 51st Korea Chunhyang Gugak Competition and the best prize at the 30th Im Bang-ul Gugak Festival, and is a successor of Jindo Ssitgimgut, a national intangible heritage. Seoul Shinmun added that she won the presidential prize in 2024 in the pansori master division, graduated from a traditional arts high school and Chung-Ang University, and also received a Prime Minister's award at a Namdo folk-song contest. [ 2 , 3 , 6 ]
Kim is in post-production on Kal: Godumakhan-ui Geom (칼: 고두막한의 검), set just after the fall of Goguryeo, in which a man who lost his memory and became a slave enters a gladiator tournament for a legendary sword. Hankook Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo said it is due in 2027; Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun said next year. Park Bo-gum is among the cast. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The coverage is entertainment news about a film director and a pansori master. The documents give no wider consequences beyond the wedding itself and Kim's upcoming film.
Key facts
- Kim Han-min, director of Myeongnyang, is to marry pansori master Lee So-young (이소영) on 15 November. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun, citing the film industry, said the ceremony will be at a hotel in Seoul's Yongsan district. [ 2 , 3 , 6 ]
- Several outlets said the ceremony will depart from the usual wedding format and be held as a free-style party. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun and Korea Economic Daily gave the ages as 57 for Kim and 42 for Lee; Seoul Shinmun and Korea Economic Daily said she is 15 years younger. [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 ]
- A representative of Kim confirmed the 15 November wedding to Hankook Ilbo, and Chosun Ilbo said Kim's side also acknowledged the marriage. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Kim is in post-production on his next film, Kal: Godumakhan-ui Geom (칼: 고두막한의 검), according to Newsis, Dong-A Ilbo, CBS NoCut News, Seoul Shinmun and Korea Economic Daily. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The wedding of Kim Han-min and pansori master Lee So-young is set for 15 November in Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- The ceremony is expected to be a party-style event outside the conventional wedding format. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Myeongnyang drew 17.61 million viewers in 2014 and the record for domestic releases has not been broken. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Kim's side confirmed the wedding. [ 1 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Which hotel will host the wedding. Three outlets say a hotel in Yongsan district, Seoul; others say only Seoul, and no document names the hotel.
- Details of the party-style ceremony. Outlets say only that it will be free and lively; the documents give no programme, guest list or other details, and describe the format as reported or expected.
- Whether Lee So-young has commented. No document quotes her; the only on-record confirmation cited is from a representative of Kim.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On 19 October Hankook Ilbo published that a representative of Kim confirmed the 15 November wedding, citing an earlier report by MyDaily. [ 1 ]
- On 19 October Newsis named Lee So-young as the bride, citing the film industry. [ 2 ]
- On 19 October Dong-A Ilbo ran the same report. [ 3 ]
- On 19 October Chosun Ilbo reported that Kim's side acknowledged the marriage. [ 4 ]
- On 19 October CBS NoCut News reported the wedding. [ 5 ]
- On 20 October Seoul Shinmun reported the wedding and described Lee's training and awards. [ 6 ]
- On 20 October Korea Economic Daily reported the wedding. [ 7 ]