Ha Hee-ra and Choi Soo-jong showcase enduring love after 33 years

Actors Ha Hee-ra and Choi Soo-jong showcased their unchanging affection by sharing a recent video together. While their youthful appearances, which defy their ages in their 50s and 60s, caught many eyes, what drew even more attention was the sight of the couple still naturally leaning on each other and smiling after 33 years of marriage.

On the 7th, Ha posted a video of herself with Choi on her SNS with the caption, “A two-shot after a long time. You worked hard today as well. Thank you.” In the video, the two looked into the camera side-by-side with bright smiles, showing simple expressions of affection such as making finger hearts.

There was no special event involved. Rather, the short scene of them standing side-by-side and smiling without much explanation compactly captured the current state of the couple, who have been married for a long time. Instead of flashy production, the comfort stemming from familiarity made their relationship stand out even more.

Ha was born in 1969 and is 56 years old this year, while Choi was born in 1962 and is 63. Although both are actors born in the 1960s, the video captured them looking so bright and natural that it was difficult to guess their ages.

In particular, as Ha's natural look, which seemed to minimize makeup, blended with Choi's bright expression, reactions calling them a "youthful couple" poured in. However, to explain their public favor solely through their appearance would overlook the significant narrative they have built over the past 30 years.

The two married in 1993 and are celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary this year. They have one son and one daughter, and over the years, they have established themselves as a representative long-term couple in the entertainment industry by consistently showing mutual consideration through broadcasts and SNS.

In particular, Choi has long solidified his public image with the nickname "romantic lover." However, the reason their relationship is perceived as special by the public is not the frequency of their public displays of affection, but rather the fact that they have naturally respected each other's existence in their lives while maintaining their relationship for a long time.

Ha has also built an independent career as an actress. Since the late 1980s, she has been active primarily on television, establishing herself as a leading actress in various works, and has steadily continued her acting career and name even after marriage. The fact that they are not just a famous couple, but actors who have worked in their respective fields for a long time and formed a family, makes their relationship even more special.

Recently, Choi's challenge in theater has become another topic of conversation for the couple. From July to August 23, Choi played the role of Oedipus, who faces a tragic fate, in the play "Oedipus" performed at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts M Theater. The performance continued from July 4 to August 23, and Choi shared the role of Oedipus with Yang Joon-mo.

This stage was also meaningful as it marked Choi's first challenge in theater in about 9 years. During the production press conference, he confessed that the process of expressing complex emotional lines was quite difficult when he first started practicing, but he revealed that he grew to enjoy the challenge itself as time passed.

"Oedipus," a modern reconstruction of Sophocles' classical tragedy, is a work that poses the fundamental question of how much a human can control their own destiny. Choi had to set aside the heroic and strong image he was familiar with in TV dramas and intensely express the inner self of a human crumbling between prophecy and truth on stage.

Ha also visited the venue to watch her husband's acting challenge. Given that the two, who have lived as actors for a long time, are in a relationship where they watch and support each other's work, this stage was received as more than just an actor's return, but as a scene where a couple respects each other's careers.

As a marriage lasts longer, the meaning of the relationship is revealed through daily attitudes rather than grand events. The fact that the two, who have lived together for decades, can still make finger hearts and smile naturally in front of the camera means that, for them at least, the phrase "being together" is still in the present tense.

Ultimately, what catches the eye in this two-shot of Ha Hee-ra and Choi Soo-jong is not just their wrinkle-free faces or appearances that seem to defy time. The fact that even after passing through 33 years, they can still smile comfortably within the same frame while respecting each other's work and lives—perhaps that is the most realistic "youthfulness" a long-term couple can show.