Song Joong-ki & Song Hye-kyo: K-Drama's Fairy-Tale Marriage Ends in Five Minutes
The 'Song-Song Couple' that broke a nation's heart — and divorced in under five minutes.
Key Facts
What Happened
When actors Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo married in October 2017 after starring together in the mega-hit drama Descendants of the Sun, South Korea celebrated what many called the wedding of the century. The so-called 'Song-Song Couple' embodied a real-life K-drama romance that captivated fans across Asia. Their lavish ceremony was attended by industry royalty, and endorsement deals for the pair were worth tens of millions of dollars.
Just twenty months later, on June 26, 2019, Song Joong-ki filed for divorce through the Seoul Family Court's mediation process, reportedly without informing his wife in advance. The filing sent shockwaves through the Korean entertainment industry. Song Hye-kyo's agency confirmed the split, citing 'personality differences,' while Joong-ki's legal representative said the couple had been unable to overcome their differences.
The Seoul Family Court finalized the divorce on July 22, 2019, in a closed-door mediation that reportedly lasted just five minutes. Both agencies confirmed there was no alimony and no division of property. The speed and cleanness of the settlement was remarkable — a testament to South Korea's mediation system, which allows couples to bypass lengthy court trials when both parties agree.
The divorce sent South Korean stocks in entertainment companies tumbling and led to the cancellation of numerous joint endorsement contracts. Both stars went on to rebuild their careers — Song Joong-ki later remarried a British actress in 2023 and became a father, while Song Hye-kyo returned to the top of the K-drama world with The Glory in 2023.
Legal Breakdown: How South Korean mediation enables fast, private celebrity divorce
South Korean Mediation Divorce
South Korea allows 'mediation divorce' (조정이혼) through family courts. If both parties agree on all terms, the court can finalize a divorce in a single session without a trial. This process is faster and cheaper than contested divorces and offers significant privacy for public figures.
No-Fault & No-Division Agreements
The Song-Song divorce featured no alimony and no division of property. In South Korea, couples can agree to walk away with their own pre-marital and individually earned assets. This is common in short marriages between financially independent parties, though it requires mutual agreement — a contested divorce would typically involve division of marital gains.
Celebrity Endorsement Fallout
Korean celebrity endorsement contracts often include 'morality clauses' or provisions that can be triggered by public scandals. The Song-Song divorce led to the cancellation of joint advertising deals, illustrating how marital breakdown can have financial consequences beyond the divorce settlement itself.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Mediation-based divorce systems can dramatically reduce the time and emotional cost of separation when both parties are willing to cooperate.
- →Short marriages between financially independent partners often result in clean-break settlements with no alimony or property division.
- →Celebrity divorces demonstrate how public perception and commercial contracts add financial dimensions that go far beyond the legal settlement.
- →The speed of the Song-Song divorce — five minutes — shows that thorough pre-negotiation between lawyers can make the court hearing itself a mere formality.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.