Colony actor Koo Kyo-hwan and filmmaker Lee Ok-seop have finally revealed that they have been legally married for four years. The couple confirmed the news publicly on October 1, 2026 that they registered their marriage in 2022 and became husband and wife.
Koo Kyo-hwan and Lee Ok-seop were together for more than a decade. They began dating in 2013 and publicly announced their relationship in 2020.
Apart from being romantically involved, Koo and Lee worked together professionally and did acting, directing, writing and producing. As a couple, they have produced independent films, short features, and a creative company.
Koo Kyo-hwan and Lee Ok-seop Relationship Timeline: From 2013 Film Together To Getting Married
They are both alumni of the Seoul Institute of the Arts and began their professional and personal relationship around their early filmmaking work. As per reports, their romantic relationship developed during their early collaborations in 2013 in the short film Bokyung in Fourth Grade and A Dangerous Woman.
Gradually, their relationship blossomed privately. They collaborated on various projects including A Dangerous Woman, Fly To The Sky, and Girls On Top Being.
Koo moved from his traditional acting roles and took up direction and other creative roles during this period.
They publicly confirmed that they were dating in 2020, after having been together since 2013. And eventually, registered their marriage in 2022 in secret.
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Koo Kyo-hwan And Lee Ok-seop Past Collaborations
Koo and Lee’s professional relationship is as long as their romance. In one of the interviews with the Korean Film Council, Lee Ok-seop revealed that before her debut as a director, she had already worked on different projects.
She also mentioned that Koo helped her as co-director while also appearing in front of the camera.
Their most notable collaboration is Maggie. Lee made her feature debut with this film, which starred Koo Kyo-hwan and Moon So-ri. Maggie was a huge hit with several awards like the Citizen Critics’ Award at the Busan International Film Festival and the Audience Award and Grand Prix at the Osaka Asian Film Festival.
That film is particularly important when looking at Koo and Lee’s relationship because Koo's involvement went beyond acting. Their collaborations have placed him in multiple roles around Lee's filmmaking, reinforcing the fact that their partnership is not simply that of an actor and director who happen to be a couple.
The pair have also continued working through their joint creative collective 2X9HD.
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Koo Kyo-hwan And Lee Ok-seop’s Upcoming Films
Marriage has not changed the couple’s working relationship. They have several upcoming projects together.
Their film Your Country is a tentative film starring comedian Jang Do-yeon. They have worked together as filmmakers and directors on this project.
Lee’s other upcoming film is Love Counsellor, starring Lee Na-young. The film revolves around complicated relationships with themes of love and dependence, protection and control, and sin and devotion. As of the latest reports, no confirmed theatrical release date for Love Counsellor has been announced.
As for Koo, he has been appearing in Colony, directed by Yeon Sang-ho. He also recently appeared in Revival Man: The Red and has Snowstorm among his upcoming works.
The interesting thread running through all of this is that Koo and Lee have never really separated their personal and professional lives into different compartments.
They began as young filmmakers, became a couple, publicly acknowledged their relationship, quietly registered their marriage and continued making films together.
Are you excited for their film Your Country?
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FAQs
Q1. When did Koo Kyo-hwan and Lee Ok-seop get married?
A1. They legally registered their marriage in 2022, according to Koo's agency Namoo Actors.
Q2. When did Koo Kyo-hwan and Lee Ok-seop start dating?
A2. They began dating in 2013 and publicly confirmed their relationship in 2020.
Q3. What are Koo Kyo-hwan and Lee Ok-seop working on next?
A3. They are continuing their collaboration on the completed film Your Country.