What Han Hye-jin Confessed About Kim Jae-wook Has Fans Buzzing

When a model with nearly three decades in the industry decides to tell the full story of a past romantic connection on national television, people listen. During the May 17 broadcast of SBS's variety show My Little Old Boy, veteran model and actress Han Hye-jin did exactly that — and her candid confession about fellow model-turned-actor Kim Jae-wook had viewers immediately talking.

The conversation began naturally enough. Han Hye-jin was visiting singer and actress Song Haena's new apartment for a housewarming featured on the show. As guests debated what matters more — personality or looks — Song Haena turned the question back on Han Hye-jin and brought up a name: Kim Jae-wook. "You had a thing with Kim Jae-wook, didn't you? Isn't he exactly your type?" Han Hye-jin did not hesitate.

What She Actually Said

"Yes, that's true," she confirmed. "We've been working together since we were very young. He was the only male model the same age as me." She went on to add something that instantly became quotable: "If it had been in my twenties, I would have dated him. But not now. We're not each other's type anymore. We've seen all the ugly sides of each other since we were young."

She said it matter-of-factly, with the lightness of someone describing a chapter that's long since closed. There was no awkwardness, no deflection — just a frank account of what happened, and what didn't. When the conversation turned to her current love life, Han Hye-jin sighed and confirmed she is not in a relationship at the moment.

The confession wasn't the first time their connection had come up. Last year, on comedian Lee Si-eon's YouTube channel Sieon's School, Han Hye-jin and Kim Jae-wook participated in an "ideal type" segment — and both chose each other. Han Hye-jin explained the backstory at the time: the two had grown close during a desert commercial shoot for a jeans brand. When her luggage failed to arrive, she ended up wearing Kim Jae-wook's clothes for the entire shoot. "That's when we really became close," she said. "He's very cool — but he also tries too hard to maintain that cool image, which gives me mixed feelings. These days, though, that edge seems to have softened."

Who Are Han Hye-jin and Kim Jae-wook?

Han Hye-jin is one of Korea's most recognized models of the past three decades, having made her debut in the late 1990s during a period often called the golden age of Korean fashion modeling. She later transitioned into acting and variety television, becoming a familiar presence on shows like My Little Old Boy and building a reputation for being unusually candid about her personal life. At 49, she remains one of the most in-demand models in the domestic industry — and one of the most entertaining guests on Korean variety television.

Kim Jae-wook followed a similar path from modeling into acting and has earned a reputation as one of the more quietly intense presences in Korean drama. International audiences may know him best from the 2019 drama Her Private Life, in which he played a mysterious gallery director opposite Park Min-young. His modeling work alongside his acting career has kept him in public view throughout, and the combination of brooding looks and dry humor has long made him a popular subject of fan discussion.

The two have a long professional history that predates their separate acting careers, making Han Hye-jin's confession feel less like tabloid revelation and more like a genuine peek behind the curtain of an industry that often keeps its personal stories tightly managed.

Why the Audience Responded the Way They Did

In a media landscape where celebrity admissions about romance are often carefully staged — pre-approved by agencies, released through official channels, timed with content drops — Han Hye-jin's offhand disclosure felt different. She wasn't promoting anything. She was at a housewarming, answering a question, and she simply told the truth. That authenticity, rare enough to be notable, is what turned the clip into one of the most shared moments of the broadcast week.

Fan communities reacted with a mix of nostalgia and warmth. Many viewers who followed both celebrities in their modeling days found themselves revisiting a period when Han Hye-jin and Kim Jae-wook were ubiquitous faces on Korean fashion campaigns, and the idea of a quietly mutual attraction between two people so visually synonymous with that era carried a particular nostalgic pull.

Others simply appreciated the honesty. Korean variety television has gradually moved toward more personal confessions over the past decade, and veteran guests like Han Hye-jin — who have nothing left to prove and little to lose from candor — often deliver the most memorable moments precisely because they're not performing for an agency.

What Happens Next

My Little Old Boy, known in Korean as Miwooesaekki, has aired on SBS since 2017 and has consistently been one of the network's most reliable entertainment properties. The show invites single adults to share their personal lives with their mothers watching from a separate studio, creating a format that naturally encourages honest conversation. Han Hye-jin has been a recurring guest and one of the show's more memorable personalities.

Kim Jae-wook has not publicly responded to the disclosure, which is consistent with his generally private approach to personal topics. Han Hye-jin, for her part, seems entirely unbothered — which, if her track record is any indication, is exactly how she intended to come across.

Whether the clip sparks renewed fan interest in a "what if" narrative between the two is largely up to viewers. What it has already done is remind Korean entertainment fans that sometimes the most memorable television moments come not from scripted drama but from a model in her late forties telling the truth about a guy she worked with thirty years ago — and doing it with a sigh and a smile.

Han Hye-jin continues to be one of Korean variety television's most reliable personalities precisely because she brings that kind of unguarded energy to every appearance. Whether she's talking about dating, friendship, or the unpredictable path that a modeling career can take, she tends to say what she means. In an industry where carefully curated images are the norm, that directness has become her brand — and her fans would not have it any other way.