Korean Speed Skater Lee Sang-hwa Foots the Bill for Lavish Wedding and Honeymoon

Korean speed skating champion Lee Sang-hwa has revealed that she covered all the expenses for her wedding and honeymoon.

On November 11, the YouTube channel 'Jjanhanyoung Shin Dong-yup' featured the couple Kangnam and Lee Sang-hwa.

During the show, host Shin Dong-yup humorously referred to Kangnam as "the craziest among the crazies," eliciting laughter.

Kangnam admitted to feeling nervous when appearing on broadcasts with Lee Sang-hwa and confessed to painting his wife's Porsche pink, which led to significant backlash.

Lee Sang-hwa, who was visibly upset and surprised by the prank, commented, "The paint comes off easily, so there are no scratches, but I can't get it out of the crevices. I've resigned myself to it."

Kangnam, who is two years younger than Lee, uses formal language when speaking to her, explaining, "I'm scared," which drew laughter.

The couple tied the knot in October 2019 at the Vista Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul, with a grand ceremony attended by 1,500 guests. Kangnam boasted about the event, saying, "I married a national athlete, so I said I'd pay for the wedding, but my cousin was too busy watching celebrities to collect the gift money, so I couldn't pay."

Ultimately, Lee Sang-hwa ended up covering the costs of both the wedding and the honeymoon. She revealed, "He only practiced dancing, while I handled the invitations, dress, and tuxedo." Shin Dong-yup jokingly asked Kangnam, "Did you marry Lee Sang-hwa for her money?"

Previously, Kangnam had shared that he decided to marry Lee after seeing her impressive back muscles on the show 'Law of the Jungle.' Lee Sang-hwa recounted, "After we started dating, we went to Japan in December. While walking hand in hand under the bright lights, I suddenly thought, 'I think I'm going to marry this guy.'"

While Lee Sang-hwa was proactive, Kangnam was cautious about dating a "national treasure." He explained, "It felt different with her, so I thought if we dated, I had to consider marriage. I didn't want to cause her any harm."

In a humorous incident, Lee Sang-hwa caught Kangnam sneaking ramen as a late-night snack and broke the noodles with her hands in frustration. She explained that she controls his eating habits because "his handsome looks disappear if he gains weight." However, Kangnam, who currently weighs 72kg, joked, "I can't make money with my looks anyway."

By Eun Jung Kim, TenAsia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr