Actress Choi Myung-gil and former National Assembly member Kim Han-gil’s movie-like love story has been revealed! On the KBS variety show “Hwang Shin-hye’s Let’s Live Together” aired on the 6th, Choi Myung-gil appeared with her best friend of 33 years, Hwang Shin-hye, to candidly share hidden stories from before and after her marriage.
Their first meeting took place at a broadcasting station. At the time, Choi Myung-gil was hosting a radio show and Kim Han-gil was hosting a talk show. Choi recalled that she initially mistook him for an elderly man because of his white hair and gave him a polite 90-degree bow. However, after working together on a live radio broadcast and discovering his actual age, she was surprised by how young he was. Kim Han-gil showed his interest right from the start, asking, “How do you feel about someone with white hair?”
Kim Han-gil’s romantic pursuit was a total “straight shot.” Choi Myung-gil shocked the cast by revealing that after Kim asked for her number during a chance encounter, he dropped a bold proposal during their first phone call at midnight that night, saying, “Choi Myung-gil, come marry me.” Choi shared, “I was so flustered that I just laughed,” but added, “If I had felt bad about it, I would have hung up, but we ended up talking for four hours during that first call,” creating a heart-fluttering moment.
Hwang Shin-hye played a crucial role in their secret dates. To prevent dating rumors for Choi Myung-gil, who was a top star at the time, Hwang volunteered to act as a shield by riding in the car with them during their dates. Hwang expressed her surprise, saying, “I really didn’t know she would get married so quickly,” while Choi expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thanks to her, I was able to start dating.”
Kim Han-gil has had a diverse career as a journalist, novelist, and broadcaster before entering politics, where he served as a four-term lawmaker and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The couple married in 1995, overcoming a nine-year age gap, and have two sons. They are now known as a representative “lovey-dovey” couple bridging the worlds of entertainment and politics.
