On April 25, a video titled “Golden friendship is just an excuse” was uploaded to the YouTube channel DdeunDdeun. The episode featured Park Bo Young, Kim Hee Won and Lee Kwang Soo, who star together in the Disney+ original series Golden Land. The trio shared their lively chemistry and revealed they have maintained a close friendship since working together on the 2015 film Collective invention.
During the conversation, Park Bo Young and Kim Hee Won revisited the dating rumors that once surrounded them due to their unusually close bond. Park Bo Young explained: “We were so close — we ate together and had coffee all the time — that he became my first dating rumor.” Hearing this, host Yoo Jae Suk reacted in surprise, asking if it was true. Kim Hee Won laughed, saying: “It just goes to show how absurd the rumor was.”
Park Bo Young elaborated on the situation, recalling, “About six years ago, we were just very close friends who often met for lunch and coffee. Director Kwon Oh Kwang (Collective invention) was staying in another region, so we traveled there together and also ate crab. But it was ultimately portrayed as if the two of us went on a trip alone, which sparked the dating rumors.
He continued, “At first, I saw the post on social media and thought, ‘What is this? This is funny,’ but then it turned into actual news articles. I ignored it, but people around me took it seriously. My dad even got calls asking, ‘Isn’t Bo Young’s boyfriend too old?'” — a story that drew laughter.
At the time, Park Bo Young was among the agencies, making it difficult to officially respond. “I wanted to clarify that wasn’t true, but I didn’t have a company, so I had to deal with it myself” he said. “I contacted Kim Hee Won, but he was very sick with the flu and didn’t even know the news. His voice sounded like he was on the verge of collapse.”
Ultimately, Park Bo Young personally posted a statement in her fan café to clear up the misunderstanding, marking her first-ever clarification on the dating rumors. Kim Hee Won also recalled: “It was the first time in my life I had received so many calls and messages. When my agency asked for a statement, I told them to deny it.”
Director Kwon Oh Kwang, who was with them at the time, also apologized to Park Bo Young. He shared with humor, “He said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not a famous director. If I were, people would have known I was there with you.'”
Regarding a photo that fueled the rumor, Park Bo Young explained, “It became a situation of ‘Did you post this or did I post this?'” while Kim Hee Won added, “I was actually telling Bo Young to step aside when that photo was taken.”
After the rumor, their relationship became a little awkward for a while. Park Bo Young revealed, “He didn’t contact me for a year. One day I called him at dawn and asked him if it was because of the rumors. He said he was sorry.” He added, “I told him I was more upset that our friendship could be shaken so easily, and that’s how we got closer again.”
Meanwhile, Lee Kwang Soo jokingly admitted that he felt strangely left out by the rumors. Park Bo Young laughed, saying: “Kwang Soo said it hurt his pride: We hang out a lot, but there have never been any rumors about us.” Lee Kwang Soo added, “They get misunderstood, but not me? And this was even before I started dating Lee Sun Bin,” eliciting even more laughter.
Sources: Nate
