Baek Jin-hee to marry non-celebrity after long-distance romance

As actress Baek Jin-hee captures public attention by announcing her marriage without any prior dating rumors, her past views on romance and comments regarding long-distance relationships are being spotlighted once again. Since she decided to marry after maintaining a long-distance relationship that involved enduring 14-hour flights between Korea and Canada, interest is growing in whether her past remark, "Distance can be solved somehow," was actually derived from her real-life dating experience.

On the 7th, Baek announced that she will marry a non-celebrity office worker residing in Canada on January 23 of next year. The wedding is expected to be held privately, centered around the families of both sides. The two met while Baek was studying language in Canada last year, and they promised to marry after a long-distance relationship traveling between Korea and Canada.

The marriage news drew particular attention because there was almost no public dating process. On the 8th, through her YouTube channel 'Jiny Is Back,' Baek personally revealed for the first time that her fiancé's English name is 'Henry,' but she drew a line regarding specific personal details to protect the privacy of him and his family, as he is a non-celebrity. As speculations about the fiancé continued online, she explained that he is not a businessman or a financier, but a "normal office worker who gets excited on Fridays."

The most striking aspect of the marriage background revealed by Baek is 'stability.' She explained that since she has been acting since the age of 20, it has been difficult to maintain a stable life rhythm due to the nature of her profession, and that her fiancé is someone who balances her between her highest and lowest emotional moments. Rather than flashy conditions or economic background, the tranquility of daily life and emotional stability were the core reasons that led her to decide on marriage.

Their romance was not always smooth. Baek shared the realistic difficulties of long-distance dating, saying, "I would fly 14 hours to meet him, and he would fly 14 hours to meet me." She noted that they could not meet immediately when they wanted to see each other, and physical distance and time became barriers even during moments they wanted to be together. Nevertheless, she explained that when they spent time together, she would "become a young girl," and that her fiancé is the person who taught her the preciousness and joy of an ordinary day.

These confessions align with the views on romance Baek revealed in past YouTube content. Last July, she showed a firm attitude regarding dating questions, stating something to the effect of "I don't look back at ended relationships," revealing her principle of not lingering on past relationships. She also mentioned that while bad memories from previous relationships might naturally be covered when starting a new love, the process of meeting someone again itself might not be easy.

In particular, her remarks regarding long-distance relationships are being received even more meaningfully after the marriage announcement. At the time, Baek expressed thoughts to the effect of "Even if there is too much work, if you carve out time, you can fly," and said, "It doesn't seem like starting will be difficult because the distance is far. Since distance is physical, it can be solved somehow." While the remarks sounded like general romantic views at the time, as she announced her marriage after a long-distance relationship with a partner living in Canada, interest is focusing on the possibility that these were thoughts that met her reality.

Her view on romance is far from unconditional romance. In the past, Baek reflected on her tendency to accommodate her partner excessively in relationships, describing herself as someone who "cannot play hard to get," "is good to everyone," and "was foolish by accommodating everything."

A scene where her close friend, actress Jung Hye-sung, mentioned Baek's past romance is also gaining attention after the marriage announcement. Jung once said that Baek has a tendency to handle difficult things alone rather than leaning on others, and that it is important to have a good person by her side to comfort her. At the same time, regarding her past romance, she even shared a somewhat rough joke, saying, "I have no expectation that she will do well now," expressing her wish for her to meet a good person.

This remark stands in strange contrast to the 'stability' Baek emphasized while explaining this marriage. If her past romance was a process of trial and error, in this relationship, she discovered daily tranquility rather than special events or dramatic stimulation from her partner. This is also read in the same context as Baek's direct expression of him being "the person who taught me how precious an ordinary day is."

Born in 1990, Baek rose to prominence through films and broadcasts in the late 2000s, significantly increasing her public recognition through the MBC sitcom 'High Kick! Revenge of the Short Legged.' Since then, she has built a wide acting spectrum with lead roles in works such as 'Gold, Come Out!', 'Empress Ki', 'My Daughter, Geum Sa-wol', 'Jealousy Incarnate', 'Let's Eat 3', and 'The Real Has Come!'. Recently, she made her return to the small screen with 'Judge Lee Han-young' after a three-year hiatus.

In an actor's life, marriage is more than just a personal change. Due to the professional nature of frequent filming schedules and long-term stays in provincial or overseas locations, it is often difficult for couples to maintain the same living environment. Baek stated that she plans to continue her acting career while traveling between Korea and Canada after the marriage. The romance that overcame a 'long-distance relationship' will lead to a new lifestyle after marriage.

In a handwritten letter announcing her marriage, Baek said, "I met a good person who taught me how precious an ordinary day together is, and I felt that I wanted to be with this person for a long time." Her marriage announcement is particularly impressive in that her conclusion—after reflecting on her past mistakes and the kind of relationship she wanted—was ultimately 'an ordinary day.'

Baek has promised to tie the knot with the person she could only meet after 14-hour flights. As she once said, distance is merely a physical barrier and not an absolute condition that determines whether a relationship can continue. Although the news of her marriage appeared suddenly without dating rumors, following the trajectory of her romance reveals it is the result of building a relationship in her own way over a long period. Now, the task remaining for Baek is how to harmoniously balance her life as an actress and an individual within her new daily routine between Korea and Canada.