Wow congratulation!. I thought seol kyoungnggyu got married already! . Both were talented, i think we will many a list star on their marriage . Seol gyung gyu is one actor instead song kangho who has lot of fan. Even senior like kim seungwoo adored him

I'm shock! didn't expect it coming at all. Good for her to find love at her age. last time i didn't like her with Ahn Jae Wook (i love him), but SKG, yeah he's fine. she can tak him.

Cue "love is in the air....."

(But why do I feel bitter for some reason...poor me T_T)

"they weren’t dating at that time"

^ i hope thats true, since Sol was married and got his divorce in late 2006 or early 2007.

For some reason, May is also the month of Birthdays. Is it really that boring during September, huh, adults?

Anyways, Happy new marriage! Hope all those who got married on my birthday month live happily ever after!

Whoosha!

awwwwww! so happy for her.........
Congratulations, best of luck and all that nice stuff!!!!
I thought she was already married
I first saw her in Hotelier with BYJ but that was agesssss ago
dang! I feel old now XD

Congrats to both....happy for them...*.*

Wow! Congratulation for them...
I hope SYA and SKG happy ever after...
I support...support...support for them...
enjoy your marriage!! Yoona eonni chukahamnida...

Wow! Heartiest congratulations to Sohn Yun Ah ( fondly known as Yunah) and her fiancee.
May you have a blissful wedded life my dear Yunah.

So happy for them!!
He's one of Korea's most awesome actor too!
Well i guess i must go watch the Lost In Love dvd now...
yes...i love YuNa in Hotelier too...Frank Shin was one hell of a man...so dashing and dangerous...miss the old BYJ...*sighs*...

I wish I could be 100% happy for them, but I have 3 friends who are yet unmarried and who wish to be married. One of them, her parents know my parents, and so my parents are on my case about introducing people, but I know zero point zero (0.00) korean-am guys who are decent guys who are also single. Hey mom, it's not my fault, why am I getting heat for HER not being married?

So, congrats to the happy couple. I am 90% happy for them, 10% jealous. Or maybe it is 10% happy, 90% jealous. All of life is a balance between happiness and jealousy, I suppose.

^Yeah, why do Korean parents love the matchmaking? And why do they think if the person's parents are good then their son/daughter must be a perfect match for the other single person in question. Lol.
(These are rhetorical questions, btw.)

Need coffee....Anyone who thinks coffee tastes bad hasn't had real, fresh coffee (home-roasted), as in, brewed 1-2 days after roasting. (Coffee's freshness only lasts up to 5 days max. Do you think the Starbucks you're having was only roasted yesterday? Not a chance. Don't even get me started on Folgers, etc...)

"However, they weren’t dating at that time"? Yeah, right...
For most people, this news came as a shock not because they had no idea they were dating, but because it proved that rumors can actually turn out to be true. There have been wide-spread rumors that Sol was having an affair with Song while he was still married.. since 2002. That's why they're being compared to Brangellina couple and people feel uneasy about being happy for their marriage.
I still love Sol as an actor but cannot help feeling bad for his ex-wife.

More HAPPY news - May they have a wonderful life together.

A bit of poetic advice from - Ogden Nash:

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the wedding cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.

Happy Friday all.....

Lee Seon-kyun =(
but congrats!!! so gladthere are many happy (hopefully) marriages that are going to start! sick of the deah news =D
i really like the actress from on air

@ amy,
reading the "back story" does put a damper on things O_O (it also gives something poignant to ahn nae-sang, his ex-brother-in-law, beating the crap out of SKG in OASIS!) so this is why their chemistry was always excellent as a screen pair, especially Lost in Love which has to be SYA's best work, evah.
still, congrats to the couple!

@Samsooki: Aww *Pats*

My mom's friend's daughter is in her early 30's and is desperately wanting to get married (Her youngers sisters are all married) so her mom hooked her up with some guy (She liked him alot at first because he was Korean too and he would call her "mother-in-law" and she was so happy) but after a while he never proposed but said he was gonna marry her in the future and left her daughter waiting (it's only been 2 years) and now my mom's friend is regretting she hooked them up and finds the guy extremely annoying (even though she's the one who introduced him to her daughter)

So I guess there are always ups and downs with matchmaking ^^ She wanted her daughter to get married, got her a boyfriend, but now she can't break them apart since her daughter loves him to death :/

About Song and Sol.... after Amy mentioned about the rumours earlier (I didn't know about it) it was more surprising. It's only been a 2 years since the divorce too.....

Meh. I guess the only thing you can say is Grats.

I wanted to congratulate them but now i change my mind because it's hard to welcome couples like Bradgelina. So he's a divorced man and she's the other woman?! tsk tsk.
Watch him fall in love with another woman on the set in the future and watch her feel the anguish and pain of his ex-wife.

samsooki,

nj/nyc has probably the second largest korean population in the usa, and your lady friend can't find a decent korean guy? why is that, or what is your opinion on the matter? does she need to lower her standards? does she need a lesson on samsooki style: the lady version? even though nj/nyc has one of the largest korean populations, do you think the location is hindering her?

KB,

All three are in the NJ/NY area. And yes, there are a dearth of eligible, marriage-able korean guys at this stage of the game. I say, "this stage of the game" as I think we can assume that Dal Ja Spring is slightly unrealistic, and so really, we are talking about finding eligible, marriage-able korean guys who are in their very late 20's and early 30's.

And finding them are rare, because if one is around, then they are almost always taken before age 25.

So, to find an eligible, marriage-able korean guy past the age of 25, they have to be previously damaged goods or an extremely late bloomer. BUT, in either case (late bloomer or previously damaged), the smart girls will have already identified the best of the lot.

That leaves the rest of the girls with only a few choices:

CLASS I. ineligible guys (already married, or gay)
CLASS II. eligible but not marriage-able (these are obvious, no need for description)
CLASS III. eligible, and marginally marriageable (these are much less obvious).

Now, Class III guys are a really tough sell, because guys who are ACTUALLY in reality, Class II guys, will try their best to be considered Class III guys. And, of course, the best of the Class III guys have already been taken.

So, how to determine the difference between a marginal Class III guys from an out-and-out Class II guy? If you can tell the difference, then you'll make a million dollars writing a book about it.

Anyway, so to answer your question kb,

It isn't that women are that picky. They have minimum standards, and if they, for whatever reason, haven't found their guy by their mid-twenties, then every year that passes gets them further and further away from their dream guy.

It is a shame, but I think this is true. Oh, and to answer your question about location. I think NY / NJ is a terrible place to find good guys in the mid-to-late 20's and 30's who are single. This is where people go AFTER they are married, returning to where their parents are. Must find a nice university town, imo.

samsooki,

very interesting. i always enjoy reading your posts.

i actually would like a description of the class 2 guy. i don't understand how someone could not be marriage-able if they are single. what serious flaw(s) do these guys have that would make them fall into this category?

i work at a hospital, and i see a lot of messed-up guys who are married. granted, their wives aren't exactly top-notch themselves, but it is my belief that there is someone for everyone if their standards are adjusted.

i'm curious because i would like to know where i fall in your scheme. i'm past 25 and single. i was a shy, skinny, bookish boy in college. athletic, but unimposing. i went on a weight training tear following college, but i lost most of it when i reverted back to my bookish ways in med school. i started residency and it was then that i started to feel comfortable under my own skin. i can't say that i'm damaged goods because i've never been damaged, so perhaps i'm an extremely late bloomer? the ajummas at my korean church seem to think i'm quite a catch, but unfortunately, i live in an area with very few koreans and even fewer korean bachelorettes. i would like to know if i fall under class 2/3 according to your guidelines.

i always thought of nyc as the place to be for korean singles. am i wrong? maybe i need to scratch that city off the list of my next potential destination.

Woah, WHAT? These celebrity couples seem to pop out of nowhere. I need to start doing more research.

But yay! I'm always happy for actors who meet each other through different projects and then start dating. How much you wanna bet she's pregnant? ;)

@21. kb,

"i actually would like a description of the class 2 guy. i don’t understand how someone could not be marriage-able if they are single. what serious flaw(s) do these guys have that would make them fall into this category?"

For me to answer this question completely, I'd have to be a woman. But, to the extent of my own knowledge and in many a late night discussion with friends, here's what I know...

I have a few guy friends who are not married. One has a PhD in biochemistry from an Ivy League univ., a master's in science writing, and is one of the smartest guys I know. He is very clever, he is a gentle soul and certainly is looking for the right woman. I have another guy friend, a standup guy who is loyal and trustworthy, sings in the church choir, just the nicest guy I know, and has like 2-3 graduate degrees in finance and organizational behavior. A third guy I know, he also holds multiple graduate degrees, teaches drama and is one of the funniest guys I know. Together these three guys are pretty cool. But each are single.

First, none of the three are particularly physically attractive. Two are on the short side. One is overweight. One doesn't quite have a full head of hair. Two have a bit of acne issues that they haven't seen fit to correct. Second, none of the three are that successful from a "money" perspective. Not that that should make a ton of difference, but it is a consideration. Finally, all three guys have an image issue that nobody has translated into English so that they can understand, so they have no idea why they are single. They can't see what it is that makes them unapproachable from a romantic standpoint. It is this last part that is the killer issue. Because regardless of their money issues or their physical limitations, if they project an image of being unable to take care of anyone other than themselves, then how can they expect to go out with anyone?

These are who I would call Class II guys. They are eligible (unmarried and willing to get married), but for a woman to take the risk in going out with these guys means that the woman really is making herself unavailable for... what, exactly? At this point, it isn't "love" in the fairy tale sense, but a chance for security and potential happiness, but how can she be expected to take that kind of risk when it is doubtful that the guy can take care of her?

***

"i work at a hospital, and i see a lot of messed-up guys who are married. granted, their wives aren’t exactly top-notch themselves, but it is my belief that there is someone for everyone if their standards are adjusted."

Likely true, this is. But, I guess we all have to start with some kind of standards, and, given the upbringing and expectations that we have nurtured and raised by being successful early in life, it is difficult to suddenly drop all pretense and marry the first guy/girl you see, regardless of how we feel. I am sure all three of my guy friends can go out and marry a random person tomorrow, but there isn't a good likelihood that such a marriage would last, because marriage is mutual event and so the guy's expectations have to be met as well.

***

"i’m curious because i would like to know where i fall in your scheme. i’m past 25 and single. i was a shy, skinny, bookish boy in college. athletic, but unimposing. i went on a weight training tear following college, but i lost most of it when i reverted back to my bookish ways in med school. i started residency and it was then that i started to feel comfortable under my own skin. i can’t say that i’m damaged goods because i’ve never been damaged, so perhaps i’m an extremely late bloomer? the ajummas at my korean church seem to think i’m quite a catch, but unfortunately, i live in an area with very few koreans and even fewer korean bachelorettes. i would like to know if i fall under class 2/3 according to your guidelines."

It is tough to say. If you have a honest sense of yourself, and you are comfortable with yourself (but are willing to adapt and grow and learn and change), and most importantly, if you are able to project an image of security and stability, then I'd say that you are the diamond in the rough, the one that others will see as their last great hope.

But, really, this isn't about you, is it? I mean, honestly, if you wanted to, you could get married this weekend if you didn't care who it was you were going to marry. This is about the type of woman you wish for - the bright, energetic, soulful and emotional girl, a risk taker who will expose her soul because she believes that all things should feel the warmth of sunlight. The romantic one that will stay awake while you sleep, just so that she can tuck you in, the cutie who will melt your world when she dresses up to go to a party, the fierce one who will defend you even if you are wrong.

Tough to find this kind of girl. Likely, already taken (sorry!). But just like it is to find the right guy, you have to be able to see beyond the short-comings and find the potential to be all that you wish for. There are no perfect people, it is all about growth together. My own wife is about as messy of a girl as I have ever met. I am constantly, constantly, constantly cleaning up after her. Her stuff explodes whenever she enters a room, and every horizontal surface is covered with her stuff. Drives me nuts - there is no amount of organization that can prevent the mess from coming back the next day. And sometimes her logic makes me want to bang my head against a wall. And she detests it when I use socratic method to argue with her, and so I've given up trying to get her to admit that she's wrong sometimes. She is not perfect, but I didn't chase her across half the US because I thought she is perfect.

***

"i always thought of nyc as the place to be for korean singles. am i wrong? maybe i need to scratch that city off the list of my next potential destination."

Well, yes and no. There are singles here, but it has been a while for me to be part of that scene. All I know is that there are a lot of single korean women around and not many marriage-able guys. That tells me that the guys need work around here.

samsooki,

of course, i would love to find and attract the fantasy girl you describe, but i know no such girl exists in the real world outside of kdramas.

as always, i appreciate your insight and your thoughtful posts.

"they have to be previously damaged goods or an extremely late bloomer. BUT, in either case (late bloomer or previously damaged), the smart girls will have already identified the best of the lot"

If I may gently interject: There is an implication here that someone who isn't already married by 25 is damaged goods. Quite honestly, in my experience, I think it is the damaged ones who seem to get hitched the youngest and not often to smart(est of) girls (whatever "smart" means). You know, it was interesting to read your post b/c it seemed (and I am not saying that it is intentional) laced with all the damaging messages that have been used to subjugate women in societies (overt or sublimated): basically that after a certain age women (and now men, it seems) will have to settle for the remains unwanted by smarter women.

Someone like kb sounds like a terrific catch. I don't know squat about him, but my sense is that he is not married yet because he isn't in the right frame of mind or because he has been too busy to invest in a relationship. If he is like many of my colleagues and friends, he is neither damaged nor a late bloomer, but like so many of our generation, more interested in exploring the world and taking his time doing it. I imagine him as being comfortable in his skin, aware of the kind of woman he would like to be with, but without the anxious need to define his identity or life around meeting this person, so for now he is enjoying the life he has in front of him.