Epik High’s Tablo and film actress Kang Hye-jung married on the afternoon of October 26 is Seoul in a closed ceremony, but have released official photos of the event through Kang’s management, YG Entertainment.
The photos are lovely and capture the couple looking happy on their big day. Kang took her vows, saying, “If in the far-off future someone were to ask me what my life’s achievements were … I would say that it was the time I spent living by your side, spending forever with you, loving you and holding you.”
Ever since quirky actress Kang Hye-jung (Herb) and Epik High rapper Tabloannounced their relationship earlier this year, they’ve been very open with their affection for each other, and announced last month that they were expecting their first child. The couple had been intending on marrying next year, but the news spurred them to push up the date, and now the day has come: their wedding, which will be closed to the public, takes place tomorrow (or today, by Korea’s time), on October 26.
The ceremony, which will be closed to the public, will take place at the Bailey House in Seoul’s Samsung-dong neighborhood and only be attended by the couple’s family and a small number of friends. It will be emceed by fellow Epik High-er Mithra Jin.
Following the wedding, the newlyweds will take off for Europe for their honeymoon, after which they’ll move into an apartment in Yongsan to begin their married life together.
Epik High rapper Tablo and actress girlfriend Kang Hye-jung are expecting! In light of this news, they’ve also announced their intention to marry next month.
I don’t think this is particularly surprising news to people who have followed this lovey-dovey couple’s courtship; they’ve been dating for almost a year and been very open about their romance, as well as posting affectionate messages on their respective mini-homepages. Kang, quirky actress of films like Welcome to Dongmakgol and Herb, is currently five weeks pregnant.
The couple has made their formal pre-wedding bows with both families and will have their wedding ceremony in October. Congrats to the happy couple!
By now, I’m sure y’all have heard about Epik High’s newest album — and their new, independent business model by which they’re distributing it.
Namely, they’re opting out of the major-label system and putting out their record themselves, via their spankin’-new website mapthesoul.com and iTunes. The site’s got everything written in Korean and English, is taking overseas orders, and they’ve even got a Twitter account (mapthesoul).
This isn’t the first time a band has done something of the kind — recall Radiohead’s 2007 “In Rainbows” album, which they released online (for free! — they accepted donations but didn’t charge a set fee) — but for a Korean artist or group, it’s a bold step. I don’t think they’ll be changing the kpop landscape single-handedly, because if anything, bands like Radiohead and Epik High have something important that struggling indie newbs don’t, and that is a huge and loyal fanbase from which to draw. Naturally, this makes their jump out of the “system” into self-production easier than, say, had they attempted this as unknowns.
But the buzz and the likely success of their endeavor is promising for the future, and — as the band proclaims on their website — revolution begins with one step.
Below is a new interview from Chosun.com, which talks to Tablo about the album, the business behind the decision, his personal philosophies, and all that other good stuff.
Instead of a “Song of the Day,” here’s Epik High’s newly released “Map the Soul” MV:
Quirky film actress Kang Hye-jung (Oldboy) has come out and confirmed that she is dating Epik High rapper (and short story writer) Tablo.
In an interview with Star News on the 5th, a source close to Kang explained, “Kang Hye-jung has a very candid personality and isn’t the type to hide the truth. She has revealed that she is dating Tablo.” The couple met last year — they’d run into each other by chance and were introduced by friends — and hit it off. They started dating shortly thereafter.
Kang Hye-jung was last in the KBS drama (and one of my favorites) Flowers For My Life and is currently working on her Hollywood debut film, Wedding Palace.
Tablo most recently released the album “Lovescream” with Epik High and is currently DJ-ing an MBC FM4U radio program.
This just seems so… random. But hey, I am a fan of both, and have nothing but well wishes for the pair.
