Lee Kyu-han Once Said He Couldn't Bear Seeing His Mother Sit Alone at His Wedding, Now He Is Marrying Solbi

Actor Lee Kyu-han, who is to marry singer Solbi next April, once said he wanted neither a wedding nor children, and that part of the reason lay in a childhood spent largely alone. His candid views on marriage, revealed earlier, are drawing renewed attention, including his admitted dread of the ceremony and his fear of raising a child.

Solbi and Lee announced on the 15th that they will hold their wedding next April. The two had never publicly confirmed a relationship or been caught up in any clear dating rumors, so the sudden news surprised the public. As congratulations poured in, Lee's earlier firm remarks on marriage and childbirth returned to the center of attention. What conversations the couple had, and how they came to decide on marriage, have not yet been made public. The news alone does not mean he has changed his mind on both the wedding and having children.

A childhood spent alone, and a mother in the front row

When he explained why he did not want children, Lee spoke of his upbringing. "I was always alone. There weren't many adults who looked after me," he said, adding that even as an adult he was not confident he could properly care for a child. In other words, the sense that he had not been cared for enough as a child fed into his burden about becoming a parent. His reluctance about a wedding was tied to family history as well. He said he was raised alone with his mother: "Who will sit next to my mom when I get married? I don't want to see my mother sitting there by herself." His hesitation, then, was not simply a dislike of a lavish ceremony. It came from picturing his mother sitting alone at the venue.

"The word 'groom' feels the farthest from me"

Lee spoke about his views in December 2023 on the Channel A entertainment show "Men's Life These Days: Groom's Class." Asked by a fellow cast member whether he planned to date, he replied, "If a good person comes along. I always keep it open." The possibility of a relationship was not closed, but the first burden that came to mind when he thought of marriage was the wedding itself. "Since when did I stop worrying about dating? I really hate the idea of having a wedding," he confessed, startling those around him. Pressed on whether he would have to hold one, he said the word "groom" felt the farthest from him. Even filming wedding scenes in dramas, he said, was awkward and hard to endure. Asked what he would do if a future partner wanted a wedding, he answered, "Right now, it would be hard." The marriage situation itself, not just the formality of a ceremony, seemed to weigh on him psychologically.

Lee also said the question of children was an unavoidable condition when considering marriage. "Because I'm of a certain age, shouldn't I meet someone with the future in mind?" he said. "My condition is that: will you have a wedding, will you have a child." He then asked how many people would accept him if he told someone he had just met, "I won't have a wedding and I won't have children." The remark reflected a practical worry that he had to be clear about his views on marriage and childbirth before a relationship even began. Having openly voiced those worries, Lee now stands at the start of a new chapter. What choice he made beyond the past experiences and fears that made marriage feel burdensome, and the future the couple will build together, are drawing interest.

Read the original (Korean)