Broken hearts in Asia as South Korean celeb couple wed

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How strong is the influence of K-pop in Asia? Well the widespread tears and celebrations on display in China, South Korea and no doubt many more countries in the region following the wedding of one celebrity couple might give you a hint.

Two South Korean superstars - goddess Song Hye-kyo and heartthrob Song Joong-ki - nicknamed the Song-Song Couple, got married Tuesday in Seoul with many celebrities in attendance, making the fairytale romance from the TV drama in which they star a reality.

The "Song-Song Couple" at their Wedding on Tuesday in Seoul./Photo via Sina Entertainment

The pair appeared in the smash hit 2016 TV drama "Descendants of the Sun" as a couple that won the hearts of women across Asia. The show ranked number one in the audience ratings among all dramas in South Korea in 2016.

By April 2016, two months after the series came to an end, clicks for the show on China’s streaming site iQiyi reached 2.7 billion.

The show's hashtag on China’s Weibo social media platform was read over 12.2 billion times. These numbers represent record highs compared to previous TV shows from South Korea.

A still from 2016 TV drama 'Descendants of the Sun.'/Photo via Baidu Baike

Both stars have massive fan bases across Asia.

Song Hye-kyo, 37, rose to fame in 2000 thanks to her performance in hit TV drama "Autumn in the Heart", while 32-year-old Song Joong-ki gained international fame in 2016 for his performance in TV drama "Descendants of the Sun." Since then, he has become the image of the ideal husband for many girls in Asia.

Even though rumors were rife that the two were dating in real life, they never said anything to the media. However, earlier this year, the couple announced that they were engaged, an announcement which almost caused the Internet to crash.

K-pop has never lacked a fan base in China, and the Song-Song Couple have been quite a milestone figure among Chinese fans. Their wedding on Tuesday didn't just attract A-listers from their home country, but also world-famous actress Zhang Ziyi from China.

The Song-Song Couple and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi (center). /Photo via Zhang's Weibo account