Romance over: Actor, K-pop diva call it quits

Jiyeon (far left in front) and Lee Dong-gun (far right in front) with a Korean woman who offered a lodge to the couple when they were shooting film "Encounter" in Athens, Greece. / Courtesy of athenshome.co.kr

By Ko Dong-hwan

"Encounter" poster

Actor Lee Dong-gun and K-pop girl band T-ARA member Jiyeon have ended their two-year romance.

The couple decided to break up after admitting they were drifting apart because of busy schedules, according to Korean media outlets. Lee was reportedly shooting day and night for his major role in TV drama “The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop” on KBS. Jiyeon was with her band preparing to release a new album.

“The pair decided that they were better off being friends in show business,” the stars’ agencies said, adding they “naturally took steps to split as their busy schedules forced them to share lesser times together.”

These photos spread on SNS show the couple dating at an eatery in Shanghai.

The pair met in June 2015 during the shooting of Korean-Chinese film “Encounter” in the Chinese city of Chengdu. In the romantic film, the stars played a couple who meet on a cruise ship and begin an affair. The movie ― which interestingly saw their fictional romance realized in real life ― has not hit theaters.

The pair then started dating, posting photos of their outings on social media. Some pictures showed the two at an eatery in Shanghai, with Jiyeon rubbing Lee’s hand on her face. The photos raised controversy because a cigarette packet and lighter were seen on a dining table in front of the couple. It was never revealed who owned them.

The couple’s affectionate moments were widely shared on SNS as the couple and netizens posted photos online.