Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, the celebrated and highly beloved couple from South Korea that gained popularity after the 2016 TV series "Descendant of the Sun", started legal proceedings for divorce, Korean media said on Thursday.
Song Joong-ki(L) and Song Hye-kyo(R) attend at the red carpet during an event in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 2016. /VCG Photo
"I filed a mediation procedure for divorce with Song Hye-Kyo," Song Joong-ki said in a statement released through his lawyer Park Jae-hyun early Thursday morning, "We all hope to finish the divorce proceedings smoothly, without pointing fingers at each other."
The actor also said he'll "try to get rid of the pain today" and devote himself to his career as an actor.
Song also apologized for announcing the sad news to the audience.
Later, United Artists Agency (UAA) where Song Hye-kyo works, confirmed the news and responded that the decision was made by the couple after cautious deliberations.
A photo of the couple during their wedding, Seoul, South Korea, October 31, 2017. /VCG Photo
"The reason lies in the difference in their characters. They have to make the decision because they failed to overcome their differences," said the announcement.
The couple fell in love after co-starring in "Descendant of the Sun" in 2016. In fall the next year, they held a private wedding in Seoul, which was attended by many celebrities, including Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.
In the wedding vows, Song Joong-ki said then, "Maybe we’ll experience bad weather. Maybe we'll be tripped by stones. But every time we can stand up again with hands held tightly, telling each other 'It's not a big deal.'"
A photo features Song Joong-ki (L) and Song Hye-kyo. /VCG Photo
The couple are very popular in China, with many regarding their love story as a fairy tale. After the heartbreaking news came out on Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform, the hashtags #SongHye-kyo SongJoong-ki divorce# #SongHye-kyo side responds to divorce# went viral, topping the hot search list.
Many netizens commented that they "can't believe this is true" and "hope they will be well, respectively."
Early this year, the rumor of divorce came out when Song Hye-kyo deleted some photos on social media, and was seen not wearing her wedding ring.