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After news of Song Joong-ki and Katy Louise Saunders getting married and expecting a child surfaced on the internet, several fans of the Vincenzo actor took to various social media sites to congratulate the happy couple. While many were enthusiastic about the prospect of the Korean star becoming a father, some chose to bring up Song Hye-kyo, who was previously married to him.
The two Korean stars met while shooting the acclaimed K-drama series Descendants of the Sun and quickly became fan-favorites, with netizens referring to them as the Song-Song couple. It has been almost four years since they split up, breaking the hearts of many fans who shipped the former couple together.
Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo's palpable chemistry was evident even when the pair first attended the script reading of Descendants of The Sun
May 28, 2015: The first script reading for Descendants of The Sun attended by the two leads
Soon after his discharge from military service, Song Joong-ki attended the first-ever script reading with Song Hye-kyo, along with the rest of the cast of Descendents of the Sun. The two actors were confirmed to be a part of the show just a month prior to the reading. It was reported that the chemistry between the lead pair was palpable, causing the rest of the cast and crew to cheer on the romantic moments in the script.
June to December 2015: Filming Descendants of The Sun with the two paired together
The Korean drama series Descendants of The Sun, known for its fully pre-produced nature, was filmed in South Korea and Greece in the second half of 2015. Song Joong-ki plays Captain Yu Si-jin opposite Song Hye-kyo's Doctor Kang Mo-yeon, who falls in love in the war-torn fictional land of Uruk. Touted to be Joong-ki's comeback after his two-year break while serving mandatory military service, Descendants of the Sun was long awaited by fans.
March to June 2016: The Song-Song pair were seen together in multiple cities, fueling rumors of them dating
While their drama was winning people's hearts across Asia, the rumored couple was spotted having dinner in New York and vacationing together in Bali, Indonesia. However, both actors' agencies denied reports of them dating, going as far as to call the rumors groundless. The chemistry onscreen was undeniable, leading to fans hoping that the Descendants of the Sun pair would become a real-life couple too.
June 3, 2016: The duo's appearance at the Baeksang Arts Awards together, where they were showered with love
At the 52nd Baeksang Awards, Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki were the picture-perfect (reel) couple, displaying their camaraderie as they graciously accepted awards for their work in Descendants of the Sun. While they hadn’t confirmed their relationship back then, the mutual respect and adoration were obvious to all who saw them.
The show received the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the event. Meanwhile, the Song-Song duo each received the top prize in the popularity segment of the awards night, cementing how much the audience loved their chemistry and acting.
June 17, 2016: The surprise appearance of Song Hye-kyo at Song Joong-ki's fan meeting
At Song Joong-ki's fanmeeting held in China, Hye-kyo admitted that she found him "very cool" and "sincere and thoughtful when filming," while Joong-ki called the Full House actress "pretty." However, the cherry on top came a day later when the actress posted a picture from the event on her personal Instagram account with "#songsongcouple" in the caption.
Although their relationship was not confirmed at the time, the fanmeeting and Instagram post was enough to feed fans of the Song-Song couple.
July 4, 2017: The agencies of the actors confirmed that the pair were in a relationship and engaged to be married
After months of dodging dating rumors, the duo announced that they would marry each other on October 31, 2017, admitting that the marriage was a "private matter but also a meeting between two families," which was why they chose to keep it under wraps. Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki also released individual statements about their personal feelings pertaining to this news.
Hye-kyo said that their "similar values and ideas," along with Joong-ki showing "his self, trust, and manners," made her realize that he was someone she could picture her future with. She added that she was "no longer one person but two people now" and asked fans for their support despite the sudden announcement.
On July 5, 2017, the Vincenzo actor started his statement by admitting that he did not want the show to get affected because of the news of their relationship, hence keeping it under wraps. Calling Song Hye-kyo a "precious friend," Song Joong-ki referred to their relationship as loving while calling his fans' support for the couple's "the cheerful encounter."
October 31, 2017: The #SongSongCouple wedding takes place
Their wedding, which took place at Yeong Bin Gwan, a banquet annex of Seoul's The Shilla hotel, was a star-studded affair with the who’s who of Korean actors attending. Pictures showed a resplendent Song Hye-Kyo and a dashing Song Joong-ki in their wedding clothes, smiling and content.
The agencies of the two actors released photos from their pre-wedding photoshoot that took place in San Francisco a month before the ceremony. In November of the same year, Hye-kyo posted a picture from the wedding on Instagram with the caption thanking fans for their support in Korean and English.
August 2018: Song Joong-ki gushes about Hye-kyo in his Esquire interview
In an interview with Esquire Magazine in 2018, Joong-ki talked about how the relationship with his wife felt fresh and like they were still in the "dating stage." He added that he thought loving a significant other is among the greatest feelings and achievements in any person's life. The actor also said that his (then) wife was really pretty.
April-May 2019: Separation rumors arise and are put to rest by Song Joong-ki during a press conference
After Song Hye-kyo was reportedly spotted without her wedding ring, Song Joong-ki spoke about feeling emotionally stable due to his marital status at the press conference for Arthdal Chronicles held on May 28, 2019. He also credited Song Hye-kyo as a "cheerleader," saying that she offered him support and strength to do his best for the show.
June 27, 2019: Song Joong-ki's lawyer announces that the couple have filed for divorce
After about twenty-one months as a married couple, Song Joong-ki announced (through his lawyer) that he had filed for divorce at the Seoul Family Court. Apologizing to fans for the "unfortunate news," the actor requested an amicable divorce with no arguments over "who is to blame." Song Hye-kyo's agency further revealed that the former couple was "unable to overcome their differences" and decided to take the decision to split up.
July 22, 2019: The former Song-Song couple's divorce is finalized
After a closed-door hearing at the Seoul Family Court, the terms of the settlement were agreed upon, and a divorce was granted to Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, legally ending their marriage. According to a statement made by the latter's agency, there was no alimony or property division on either side.
Song Joong-ki recently registered his marriage to Katy Louise Saunders, who is also three months pregnant. Fans took to Twitter to express their surprise and congratulate the Reborn Rich actor.
Meanwhile, Song Hye-kyo is reveling in the success of the first part of The Glory, a revenge drama about a former bullied teenager getting back at those who tortured her. The second part of the series is set to be released in March 2023.
