Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo get married in private wedding

SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- The celebrity couple Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo tied the knot at a hotel in Seoul on Tuesday, realizing their romantic relationship in the sensational hit TV series "Descendants of the Sun" in real life.

The wedding ceremony, held in tight security and secrecy at the Shilla Hotel, was attended by 300 close friends and family members. Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi was one of the attendees. With no officiant at the wedding, actors Yoo Ah-in and Lee Kwang-soo were said to have read a congratulatory letter and singer Ock Joo-hyun to have sung a song for the pair. Actor Park Bo-gum played the piano, to which the groom was expected to sing a serenade for the bride.

As expected, there was no media briefing or photo sessions prior to the ceremony. But there was heated media coverage by Korean and Chinese press.

The wedding took place in the garden of Youngbingwan at the hotel, which is visible from rooms with a city view. Chinese media apparently shot the wedding from some of the rooms, as the wedding was broadcast live on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.

Last month, the two shot their wedding photos in San Francisco. The newlyweds won't immediately leave for a honeymoon and are expected to move into their new home in Itaewon, which Song Joong-ki bought in January.

On July 5, the two stars confirmed the dating rumors about them and made the surprise announcement through their management agencies that they would marry Oct. 31.

At the wedding venue, 200 Korean and foreign fans, mostly from China where the drama was a runaway hit, gathered to get a glimpse of the glamorous stars. The hotel said the occupancy rates were higher than usual as fans and media apparently reserved rooms.

"I am a fan of both Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo. I came to Korea two days ago to see the wedding. I hope they become happy together and have a baby soon to look after them," a Chinese fan told Yonhap News Agency.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
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