In 2016, Hong was reported of having an extramarital affair with actress Kim Min-hee who appeared in the 2015 film Right Now, Wrong Then. At the Seoul premiere of On the Beach at Night Alone in March 2017, Hong admitted his affair with the actress, who was also present. In this article, Channel-Korea will explain the facts about Kim Min-hee and Hong Sang-soo’s relationship. Stay tuned!
Controversial Relationship With Director, Hong Sang-soo
In June 2016, Kim Min-hee was reported of having an affair with Hong Sang-soo, the director of the film Right Now, Wrong Then, in which she starred as the lead actress in 2015. Kim Min-hee and Hong Sang-soo had been working together for some of Hong Sang-soo’s films. Kim Min-hee became the first Korean to win the Silver Bear for Best Actress for director Hong Sang-soo’s movie On the Beach at Night Alone at the 67th Berlin Film Festival. The movie describes the struggles of actress Young-hee after she falls in love with a married filmmaker. However, Kim received the cold shoulder from the Korean public. She became a subject of gossip as her winning the prestigious award dragged her private life into the spotlight again. Kim fell in love with the 55-year-old Hong, who filed for divorce after their inappropriate relationship was made public. According to Dispatch, Hong’s wife knew about their illicit relationship when she saw her husband’s film Right Now, Wrong Then, starring Kim Min-hee, that the story contained his feelings for the actress. However, she was said to have suppressed her suspicions. Netizens’ reactions:
“It’s like they live in a drama and never know what they’re doing. They hurt the people around them. I hope there’s no one around me who is like them. They are disgusting,” in response to online news about Kim winning the award. “They insist they are in love. But I think they are in a nasty relationship in the name of love because what they do hurts Hong’s wife and daughter. If there’s anybody who is suffering because of others’ love, then that is not love. Do not try to justify your nasty extramarital affairs in the name of love.” “Congratulations on your winning the award. You won the award because of your extramarital relationship with another woman’s husband. Once you return to Korea, I hope you can lecture about your extramarital affair to other women to see how they react.” “Kim and Hong are adults and they can make their own decisions. Let them decide about their future.”
Grass Movie
Grass (풀잎들) is a South Korean drama film written, produced, and directed by Hong Sang-soo. It was released on October 25th, 2018. The film’s main cast is starring Kim Min-hee, Jung Jin-young, and Gi Ju-bong. The duration of the film is 66 minutes. The story of Grass is about a patron of a Seoul café who observes her fellow customers as they go about their days, drawing inspiration from their conversations for her writing. She didn’t expect to find such a place as a coffeehouse in down on alley. Opposite the coffeehouse, the owner of a small grocery has planted various kinds of vegetables that sprout up inside large rubber basins. As time passes, the people sitting at different tables grow familiar with each other and start to mix. One woman observes the others and writes down her thoughts. Even as the night grows late, they all remain in the coffeehouse. The film premiered at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16th, 2018. In early October 2018, the film was screened in the Korean Cinema Today – Panorama program at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival. The film won the nomination of Best Supporting Actress at the 2019 6th Wildflower Film Awards. The film also marks the sixth collaboration between actress Kim Min-hee and director Hong Sang-soo. Let’s take a look at the Grass trailer!
Dating Confirmed
At the Seoul premiere of On the Beach at Night Alone in March 2017, Kim and Hong openly admitted their affair. Hong Sang-soo publicly admitted to being in a relationship with actress Kim Min-hee for the first time since media speculations on their relationship emerged last June. Hong said, “I don’t know if this is the right place to unveil this, but we’re in love. We truly love each other in our own way. At first, I thought I had no reason to tell this… This is our private matter. We’re seeing each other and love each other with all our hearts. We’ll humbly accept everything — situations ahead of us and what will come.” This marks their first public appearance together in Korea since news of their affair broke after Hong filmed his 2015 movie Right Now, Wrong Then with the actress. The two were seen wearing the same ring on the same ring finger of their right hand on Monday as they attended the Berlin festival.
