Hallyu star Bae says he is dating 27-year-old woman

Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon is dating a 27-year-old woman, his entertainment agency KEYEAST confirmed on Monday.

“They have been in a good relationship for three months after they met through a close friend,” an official of the agency said, without providing further details. “It’s not time to talk about marriage yet.”

Earlier in the day, a Japanese media outlet broke the story about Bae’s romantic relationship and described the girlfriend as an attractive woman fluent in English, who is also a daughter of the CEO of a Korean conglomerate.

This is the first time for Bae to go public with a new relationship since he broke up with movie director Lee Sa-kang in 2004.

According to Japanese sports tabloid Nikkan Sports, the couple was spotted attending the wedding reception of a mutual acquaintance held in Saitama, Tokyo, on Dec. 1. They were also spotted dining and shopping together in the area after the event.

Debuting in 1994 as a KBS TV actor, the 41-year-old Bae has gained popularity in Asian countries, especially in Japan, since he starred in the hit Korean TV drama “Winter Sonata” in 2002.

In October, he received the grand prize and the best actor award at the Korean Entertainment 10th Anniversary Awards in Japan.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)