In 2021, the Hallyu world was blessed with a ton of good news related to Korean celebrities. Some of them canceled South Korea's cancel culture while others went public with their relationships. And then there were those who shared their new chapter in life as a father — and since then, even more Hallyu stars have been blessed with the gift of fatherhood.
NGL, we do feel old with this kind of announcement (as OG Hallyu fans, LOL) but we couldn't be happier for them! They're going to be wonderful dads for sure and we honestly want them to appear in The Return Of Superman ~*someday*~.
Here's a rundown of the Korean actors and K-pop idols who recently became a father:
1. Song Joong Ki
So close to Father's Day, Song Joong Ki announced the birth of his firstborn through a message to his fans in his fan cafe. His wife Katy Louise Saunders gave birth to a son on June 14, 2023, their "most precious gift," in her hometown of Rome, Italy.
2. Hyun Bin
Our BinJin couple held a garden wedding on March 31, 2022 at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul which was attended by a lot of their celebrity friends. On June 27, 2022, Son Ye Jin announced her pregnancy via a heartfelt Instagram post, and the Hyun Bin couldn't resist sharing his excitement during a press con: "It's such a huge blessing, so I just keep smiling about it." In fact, he nearly missed the birth of his son on November 27, 2022 — but made it just in time "and stayed by Son Ye Jin's side when she gave birth."
3. Choi Tae Joon
In November 2021, actor Choi Tae Joon confirmed that his longtime partner Park Shin Hye was pregnant. The two tied the knot on January 22, 2022 and had a celeb-filled guest list. On May 31, 2022, the proud parents shared the good news — they welcomed a baby boy to their family!
4. Park Hae Soo
For those who are new to the Park Hae Soo fandom, the Squid Game star is already taken and he got married in 2019 to his non-showbiz girlfriend. On September 28, 2021, the couple welcomed their son and you'll be amused by his nickname! Hae Soo revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that they call his child "Baby Squid" since he was born on the premiere date of Squid Game — the Netflix thriller aired at 4 p.m. KST and he got to meet him at 3:50 p.m. KST. Cute!
5. BIGBANG's Taeyang
December was a great month for BIGBANG's Taeyang and his wife Min Hyo Rin because they became parents to their first child! They first met when Hyo Rin appeared in the music video of Taeyang's "1 AM" and by 2018, they tied the knot. On why he decided to marry her, the K-pop idol said: "Even now, she’s the only person who continues to change me as a person. And I think those changes always make me into a better, more fully-formed person. So I thought, 'Ah, I need to spend the rest of my life together with this person.'"
6. iKON's Bobby
One Friday afternoon in August 2021, iKON's Bobby *surprised* the K-pop world when he uploaded a handwritten letter on his Instagram account. He revealed his upcoming marriage with his fiancee along with her pregnancy. Come September 2021, Bobby became a father to a baby boy. If you're an iKONIC (iKON's fandom), you'll know that prior to becoming an appa, he was already a good samcheon (uncle) to his nephew Raon—so there's no doubt that he's a great dad to his son!
7. EXO's Chen
The king of K-drama OSTs welcomed a daughter in 2020. A year after, it was announced that he would soon become a father of two, and Chen's wife gave birth to their second child on January 19, 2022. Fun fact: EXO's Chen reportedly celebrated his daughter's first birthday at the luxurious The Shilla Seoul!
8. TVXQ's Changmin
In December 2019, SM Entertainment confirmed that Changmin was in a relationship with a non-celebrity. OG Cassiopeia (TVXQ's fandom), remember when the TVXQ member was a co-host of KBS' Moonlight Prince with Kang Hodong? In episode 3 starring Lee Bo Young, when asked in what situation would he reveal his relationship, he famously said "If we were getting married." Well, it turns out he predicted his future!
On June 12, 2020, the veteran K-pop idol uploaded a handwritten letter for his fans announcing his engagement. Changmin and his wife quietly tied the knot in a private wedding on October 25, 2020 (seriously, there were no photos leaked of the bride and groom together — but for 2nd gen K-pop fans, here's a throwback to Changmin's wedding shoot with IU), and welcomed their first child on October 18, 2022.
9. 2PM's Chansung
As for 2PM's Chansung, the second-gen K-pop idol shared the good news about his fiancee's pregnancy (as well as their upcoming marriage + his departure from JYP Entertainment) in December 2021. On July 26, 2022, a representative of Chansung's agency L'July Entertainment shared that the couple recently welcomed their firstborn. As per Soompi, "Both the mother and child are in good health."
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