SEOUL: Actor Kim Min-hee is reportedly expecting a child with South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo, with whom she has reportedly been in a relationship for nine years, according to local media reports Friday (Jan 17).

Entertainment outlet Dispatch revealed that Kim is expected to give birth this spring. She reportedly learned of the pregnancy last summer and is said to be some six months along.

Kim and Hong reside together in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province. Hong moved out of his marital home in Seoul’s Gangnam district and established a residence in Hanam, where Kim’s parents live.

Born in 1982, Kim is 22 years younger than Hong. The two met while working on Hong’s 2015 film "Right Now, Wrong Then," which marked the beginning of their romantic relationship. They publicly confirmed their romance in 2017.

Hong was married in 1985 and has one daughter. He filed for divorce in 2016, but the court rejected the case in 2019, citing that the breakdown of the marriage was primarily his fault. The court stated, "Our legal precedent does not permit divorce claims from the at-fault party."

Hong and Kim have lived together for nine years. - The Korea Herald/ANN