'Winter Sonata' star Bae Yong-joon spotted on golf course in rare public appearance
Bae Yong-joon, left, and Kim Seo-ah / Captured from Kim's Instagram account
Actor Bae Yong-joon, one of the biggest stars of the early Korean wave, has been spotted on a golf course in a rare public glimpse more than a decade after largely stepping away from the entertainment industry.
Amateur golfer Kim Seo-ah shared a photo with Bae on social media Friday, writing, "An enjoyable round of golf with actor Bae Yong-joon."
The photo shows the two posing together on the golf course, with Bae smiling broadly and flashing a peace sign.
Dressed in a green top and white pants, the actor also drew attention for the gray hair visible beneath his cap.
Bae Yong-joon / Xportsnews
Kim, born in 2012, is a promising amateur golfer who has earned recognition with strong finishes in amateur golf championships.
Bae has largely stayed out of the public eye since making a special appearance in the KBS drama "Dream High" in 2011. Since then, occasional sightings and photos posted online have offered rare updates on the actor.
Bae rose to stardom through the 2002 drama "Winter Sonata," becoming one of the most recognizable faces of the first-generation Korean wave, particularly in Japan.
He married Park Soo-jin, a former member of girl group Sugar, in 2015, and the couple have a son and a daughter.
Bae was also recently spotted during a family trip to Singapore, with photos circulating online. At the time, his long gray hair, tied back, drew attention for his markedly different appearance from the image familiar to fans during the height of his career.
This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.