''We Got Married'' () was a South Korean

reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, re ...

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...

that aired on MBC from 2008 to 2017. The show paired up celebrities who pretended to be married couples and completed various challenges together. The show ran for four seasons and inspired several spin-offs, including a "global edition" of the show that featured non-Korean celebrities.

Pilot special

The show's pilot episode was aired on 6 February 2008 as a

Korean New Year Seollal () is a festival and national holiday commemorating the first day of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays in both North and South Korea. The celebration usually lasts three days: the day ...

special. On the episode, four arranged celebrity couples had to prepare dinner with a fixed amount of money. ;Couples *

Alex Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple p ...

& Jang Yoon-jeong *

Jung Hyung-don Jung Hyung-don (; born February 7, 1978) is a South Korean comedian and television host. He is best known for his roles on the variety shows ''Infinite Challenge'' and ''Weekly Idol''. Early life and education Jung was born in Gimcheon in Nort ...

& Saori *

Crown J Kim Kye-hoon (; born November 12, 1979), better known by his stage name Crown J () is a South Korean rapper. He was a cast member in Season 1 of ''We Got Married ''We Got Married'' () was a South Korean reality variety show that aired on MB ...

Seo In-young Seo In-young (Hangul: ; born on September 3, 1984), also known as Elly, is a South Korean singer, dancer, model, television host, and actress. She was a member of girl group Jewelry and featured on the reality show ''We Got Married'' with Cro ...

* Hong Kyung-min&

Solbi Kwon Ji-an (; born 30 September 1984), commonly known by her stage name Solbi (), is a South Korean singer, painter, and television personality. She made her singing debut in 2006 as a member of the K-pop group Typhoon, and gained widespread f ...

Season 1

With a new format and slightly different couples, newlyweds are given a mission to complete each week. As during the special pilot episode, interviewed participants provide a unique perspective on the ongoing relationship conflicts and developments. All of the recorded material is then played in front of the participants, MCs, and audience who add commentary or clarification. Beginning with a Lunar New Year's Special in 2009 with three new couples, a new format is introduced into the show, first forecasted through the addition of Kangin and Lee Yoon-ji. Each couple is given a concept to portray; in Kangin and Lee Yoon-ji's case, a college couple living with a limited income. Original couples *

& Shin Ae (Ep 1-8, 13-34) *

(Ep 1-41) * Shinhwa's

Andy Andy may refer to: People *Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pia ...

(Ep 1-28) *

& Saori (Ep 1-8) Additional couples * Lee Hwi-jae &

Cho Yeo-jeong Cho Yeo-jeong (born February 10, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She is best known internationally for her role in the film '' Parasite'' (2019), which won four Academy Awards and became the first non-English language film to win the award for B ...

(Ep 9-17) * SS501's Kim Hyun-joong & Hwangbo (Ep 9-38) *

Hwanhee Hwang Yoon-seok ( ko, 황윤석, born January 17, 1982), better known as Hwanhee ( ko, 환희), is a South Korean singer, actor and a member of South Korean R&B duo Fly to the Sky. Career Hwanhee graduated from Gwang Moon High School before his ...

& Hwayobi (Ep 25, 29-44) *

Marco Marco may refer to: People * Marco (given name), people with the given name Marco * Marco (actor) (born 1977), South Korean model and actor * Georg Marco (1863–1923), Romanian chess player of German origin * Tomás Marco (born 1942), Spanish co ...

& Son Dam-bi (Ep 25, 29-44) * Choi Jin-young & Lee Hyun-ji (Ep 25) *

Super Junior Super Junior (; stylized in all caps), also known as SJ or SuJu, is a South Korean boy band formed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment in 2005. They are also dubbed by the media as the "King of Hallyu Wave" due to their promine ...

's Kangin & Lee Yoon-ji (Ep 39-55) *

Girls' Generation Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piece ens ...

Taeyeon Kim Tae-yeon (; born March 9, 1989), known mononymously as Taeyeon, is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and on ...

(Ep 42-54) *

Shin Sung-rok Shin Sung-rok (born November 23, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He frequently appears in films and television series, but is better known an active in musical theatre. Early life Shin had initially aspired to become a basketball player together ...

Kim Shin-young Kim Shin-young (born December 20, 1983) is a South Korean comedian, MC and DJ. She debuted in 2004 on the SBS show ''People Looking For Laughter'' and won 'Best Variety Performer' at the 42nd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2006. She has hosted num ...

(Ep 42, 45-54) * Shinhwa's Jun Jin &

Lee Si-young Lee Si-young (born Lee Eun-rae on April 17, 1982) is a South Korean actress and former amateur boxer. Early life Born Lee Eun-rae in Cheongwon County, North Chungcheong Province, her family moved to Seoul when she was 9 years old. Lee majore ...

(Ep 42, 45-55)

Season 2

As of May 2009, the producers announced another change in the format with all four couples departing, cutting down to just one couple and shortening the show to just 60 minutes. The show will now portray a more realistic side to what a marriage is, instead of ''"the painted image of marriage based on romance"''. For the first time, a real couple is cast in the show. Guest celebrities are invited to be show's commentators for each episode so that they can share their opinions on marriage on behalf of their age group. SG Wannabe's Kim Yong-jun and

Hwang Jung-eum Hwang Jung-eum is a South Korean actress and singer. She rose to stardom through the sitcom ''High Kick Through the Roof'' and received her first leading role with television series '' Listen to My Heart''. Career Hwang Jung-eum debuted with K ...

also do the interview room together dressed in wedding attire. However, due to low ratings, the show returned to its old format with the addition of a make-believe couple actor Park Jae-jung and After School member Uee on 2 August 2009. For the Chuseok special,

Brown Eyed Girls The Brown Eyed Girls (; ) is a South Korean girl group. The group is composed of four members: JeA, Miryo, Narsha, and Gain. They debuted as an R&B/ballad vocal group with "Come Closer (다가와서)" in 2006. They rose to popularity in 20 ...

Gain Gain or GAIN may refer to: Science and technology * Gain (electronics), an electronics and signal processing term * Antenna gain * Gain (laser), the amplification involved in laser emission * Gain (projection screens) * Information gain in de ...

& 2AM's Jo Kwon and SG Wannabe's Lee Seok-hun & host Kim Na-young appeared as two new couples. The episode achieved Season 2's highest rating, and

and Jo Kwon were announced to be a permanent couple. Couple List (New Format) * SG Wannabe's Kim Yong-jun &

(Ep 56-66) Couple List (Old Format) * SG Wannabe's Kim Yong-jun &

(Ep 1-20) * Park Jae-jung & After School's Uee (Ep 1-20) * 2AM's Jo Kwon &

(ep 10-69) * SG Wannabe's

Lee Seok-hoon Lee Seok-hoon (born January 6, 1972) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. Lee began his directorial debut with the high school comedy '' See You After School'' (2006), followed by romantic comedy '' Two Faces of My Girlfriend'' ...

& Kim Na-young (Ep 10) * Lee Sun-ho & Hwang Woo-seul-hye (ep 21-31) *

CNBLUE CNBLUE ( ko, 씨엔블루) is a South Korean pop rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong-hwa (leader, main vocals, guitar, keyboard, rap), Kang Min-hyuk ( drums), and Lee Jung-shin (bass). First bassist Kwon Kwang-jin left the b ...

's Jung Yong-hwa &

's Seohyun (Ep 29-80) *

2PM 2PM (; romanized; ''Tupiem'') is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Jun. K (formerly known as Junsu), Nichkhun, Taecyeon, Wooyoung, Junho and Chansung. Originally a seven-piece group, for ...

's Nichkhun & f(x)'s Victoria (ep 41-80)

Season 3

Season three officially begins on 9 April, with two additional couples upon the departure of Yonghwa & Seohyun, as well as a new format. Park Hwi-sun and

K.Will Kim Hyung-soo (; born December 30, 1981), better known by his stage name K.Will (), is a South Korean singer. The name is a combination of the first letter 'K' of his last name 'Kim' and the English word 'Will', which means will. He debuted in ...

are added for Season 3 to the cast as MCs. Couple List *

's Nichkhun & f(x)'s Victoria (Ep 81-105) *

Kim Won-jun Kim Won-jun (; born February 16, 1973), also known as Dearro (), is a South Korean pop singer and actor. After graduating from the film department of Seoul Institute of the Arts, Kim began his career as a K-pop solo artist in 1992, and made his ...

Park So-hyun Park So-hyun (born February 11, 1971) is a South Korean actress. She has a syndicated talk radio show ''Love Game'', aired via the SBS Power FM since 1999. She also participated in variety show We Got Married. On September 20, 2016, Park So-hy ...

(Ep 81-117) *

Lee Jang-woo Lee Jang-woo (; born June 1, 1986) is a South Korean actor and singer. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Glory Jane'', '' I Do, I Do'','' My Only One'' and '' Homemade Love Story. Lee also became popular after being pair ...

& T-ara's Eunjung (Ep 81-132) * David Oh & Kwon Ri-se (Ep 92-105) *

's Leeteuk &

Kang So-ra Kang So-ra (born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress. Career Kang made her acting debut in the 2009 thriller movie '' 4th Period Mystery'', but rose to fame when she starred in the 2011 blockbuster '' Sunny'', a coming-of-age film ab ...

(Ep 104-132)

Season 4

Couple List *

's Leeteuk &

(Ep 133-134) *

Julien Kang Julien Kang (; born 11 April 1982) is a Canadian television actor and model. In May 2012, Kang starred opposite Ryu Si-won as Kang Gu-ra, a rival fighter to Ryu's Seung-hyuk in Channel A's '' Goodbye Dear Wife''. Early life Kang was born in Sa ...

& Yoon Se-ah (Ep 133-159) * ZE:A's

Hwang Kwang-hee Hwang Kwang-hee (Hangul: 황광희; Hanja: 黃光熙; born August 25, 1988), also known mononymously as Kwanghee, is South Korean singer, actor, and TV personality. He debuted in 2010 as a member of the boy band ZE:A. He is also known for his a ...

& Secret's Han Sun-hwa (Ep 133-166) *

Lee Joon Lee Chang-sun (born February 7, 1988), better known by his stage name Lee Joon, is a South Korean actor, singer, model and DJ. He is best known as a former member of the South Korean boy band MBLAQ. He had notable roles in '' Gapdong'' (2014) ...

& Oh Yeon-seo (Ep 135-155) * 2AM's

Jeong Jin-woon Jeong Jin-woon (Hangul: 정진운), most often credited as Jinwoon, is a South Korean singer and actor. Debuting as a member of the group 2AM in July 2008, he began his acting career in 2012 with the KBS series ''Dream High 2'', playing Jin ...

Go Joon-hee Go Joon-hee (born Kim Eun-joo on August 31, 1985) is a South Korean actress. She made her entertainment debut as a school uniform model in 2001, then launched an acting career in 2003. Background Kim adopted the stage name Go Joon-hee in 2008, ...

(Ep 156-186) *

Jo Jung-chi Jo Jung-chi (; born August 25, 1978) is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is best known for starring in the reality TV show '' We Got Married 4'' alongside his now real-life wife, singer Choi Jung-in, in 2013. Personal life After ...

& Choi Jung-in (Ep 160-186) *

SHINee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and the ...

's Lee Tae-min & Apink's Son Na-eun (Ep 167-203) * Yoonhan & Lee So-yeon (Ep 187-213) *

Jung Joon-young Jung Joon-young (born February 21, 1989) is a South Korean former singer-songwriter, radio DJ, host, actor, television personality and convicted serial rapist. Jung first gained recognition in the 2012 season of the musical reality competitio ...

& Jeong Yu-mi (Ep 187-222) *

's Jang Woo-young & Park Se-young (Ep 204-237) * Namkoong Min & Hong Jin-young (Ep 214-262) * Hong Jong-hyun &

Girl's Day Girl's Day () is a South Korean girl group formed by Dream T Entertainment in 2010. The group consists of members Sojin, Minah, Yura, and Hyeri. Members Jisun and Jiin officially left the group in 2010, while Jihae left in late 2012. Aft ...

's Yura (Ep 223-262) * Song Jae-rim & Kim So-eun (Ep 238-275) * Super Junior M's Henry Lau & Kim Ye-won (Ep 263-264, 266-275) *

's Lee Jong-hyun &

Gong Seung-yeon Gong Seung-yeon (, born Yoo Seung-yeon on February 27, 1993), is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her roles in the film '' Aloners'' (2021) and television series such as ''Six Flying Dragons'' (2015–2016), ''The Master of Revenge ...

(Ep 263-286) * Oh Min-suk &

Kang Ye-won Kang Ye-won (born Kim Ji-eun; March 15, 1979) is a South Korean actress best known for her roles in '' Tidal Wave'', ''Harmony'' and '' Quick''. Filmography Film Television series Variety show Musicals Awards and nominations Personal ...

(Ep 276-310) *

BtoB } BtoB ( ; ; acronym for Born to Beat; often stylized as BTOB) is a South Korean boy band formed in 2012 by Cube Entertainment. The group consists of Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-sub, Im Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin and Yook Sung-jae. Origi ...

Yook Sung-jae Yook Sung-jae (; born ), also known mononymously as Sungjae, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, host and entertainer. He is a member of the boy group BtoB and its sub-group, BtoB Blue. Aside from his group's activities, Yook has acted ...

& Red Velvet's Joy (Ep 276-320) *

Kwak Si-yang Kwak Si-yang (born Kwak Myeong-jin; January 15, 1987) is a South Korean actor. Career Kwak debuted as an actor in the 2014 drama '' Glorious Day''. His first major role was the film 2014 '' Night Flight''. He then appeared in the music drama, ' ...

& Kim So-yeon (Ep 287-316) * Jo Se-ho &

Fiestar Fiestar ( ko, 피에스타) was a South Korean girl group formed by Kakao M. Before the group's debut, they released a duet with label mate IU titled “Sea of Moonlight” for LOEN Entertainment's collective label album. The track ended up b ...

's Cao Lu (Ep 311-314, 316-340) * Eric Nam &

Mamamoo Mamamoo (, stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by RBW (formerly WA Entertainment) in 2014, composed of four members: Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa. The group officially debuted with their single "Mr. Ambiguous" on ...

's Solar (Ep 316-348) *

Madtown Madtown (), often stylized as MADTOWN, was a South Korean boy band formed in 2014 by J. Tune Camp. The group consisted of Moos, Daewon, Lee Geon, Jota, Heo Jun, Buffy and H.O. Their debut album, '' Mad Town'', was released on October 6, 2014. T ...

Jota Jota may refer to: __NOTOC__ * Iota (Ι, ι), the name of the 9th letter in the Greek alphabet; * (figuratively) ''Something very small'', based on the fact that the letter Iota (lat. i) is the smallest character in the alphabet; * The name of t ...

Kim Jin-kyung Kim Jin-kyung (; born March 3, 1997) is a South Korean model and actress. In 2012, she participated in OnStyle's ''Korea's Next Top Model'', becoming the runner up. She made her acting debut in 2016, with the web-drama ''Yellow''. Filmograph ...

(Ep 321-350) *

Choi Tae-joon Choi Tae-joon (, born July 7, 1991) is a South Korean actor, model and TV host. He first gained recognition for his villainous supporting role in the disaster-mystery drama '' Missing 9'' (2017). He has since taken on lead roles in melodrama '' ...

& Apink's Yoon Bo-mi (Ep 341-363) *

Lee Guk-joo Lee Guk-joo (李國主, born on January 5, 1986), is a South Korean comedienne under FNC Entertainment. Early life and career Lee made her debut by joining MBC as a 15th generation comedian. She initially signed with CoKo Entertainment, but du ...

& Untouchable's Sleepy (Ep 349-372) * 5urprise's Gong Myung & Jung Hye-sung (Ep 351-372) *

Choi Min-yong Choi Min-yong (born June 6, 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his role in the hit sitcom ''High Kick!''. He was a cast member in the MBC's variety show ''We Got Married'' with comedian Jang Do-yeon Jang Do-yeon (born Ma ...

& Jang Do-yeon (Ep 364-373)

Controversies

In late March 2010, MBC stopped broadcast of new episodes due to labour strikes, with repeats airing instead. This event, compounded with the

ROKS Cheonan sinking The ROKS ''Cheonan'' sinking occurred on 26 March 2010, when , a of the Republic of Korea Navy, carrying 104 personnel, sank off the country's west coast near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 seamen. The cause of the sinki ...

incident, which caused cancellation of most variety shows at the time, resulted in a backlog of footage for the couples Jo Kwon & Gain and Yonghwa & Seohyun. This resulted in the contents of their latest episodes being of footage recorded some months previously, rather than the normal 1–2 weeks of the original. During

& Oh Yeon-seo's season 4 tenure (broadcasting from September 2012 through February 2013), Oh Yeon-seo was observed meeting in public with

, her male co-star from the drama series, ''

Here Comes Mr. Oh ''Here Comes Mr. Oh'' (; lit. "Here Comes Oh Ja-ryong" or "Oh Ja-ryong is Coming") is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Lee Jang-woo, Oh Yeon-seo, Jin Tae-hyun, and Seo Hyun-jin. The daily drama aired on MBC on Mondays to Fridays a ...

''. When pictures and videos were released in January 2013, media and WGM fans surmised Oh Yeon-seo and Lee Jang-woo, formerly of WGM (Season 3), were in a romantic relationship. Because Oh Yeon-seo and Lee Joon were in the midst of filming WGM at the time this news was released, the integrity of their virtual marriage was questioned by fans. The negative reaction was further exacerbated by Oh Yeon-seo's multiple declarations of romantic interest in Lee Joon (e.g. as her "ideal type" and wanting to meet with him outside of filming). This backlash and perceived broken trust resulted in fans voicing their desire for Oh Yeon-Seo to exit WGM. Shortly after the rumors of Oh Yeon-seo and Lee Jang-woo's relationship surfaced, Lee Joon publicly expressed his frustration about not having his voice heard, with online fans suggesting it was due to his overbearing workload and/or Oh Yeon-seo's alleged relationship with Lee Jang-woo. A few weeks later, Lee Joon and Oh Yeon-seo ended their tenure on WGM.

Spin-offs

Pit-a-Pat Shake

MBC aired a new show based on ''We Got Married''. The emphasis of the show was described as a shift from married life to the dating period. The head producer of ''Pit-a-Pat Shake'' was the original producer of ''We Got Married'', when couples such as

and Crown J as well as Shin Ae and

aired. The success of the earliest and most memorable couples gave people high hopes for the pilot. A Lunar Year Special was filmed and aired as the pilot episode. The female idols in the spin-off ''Pit-a-Pat Shake'' were KARA's Seungyeon, After School's Lizzy, SISTAR's Hyorin, and SECRET's Sunhwa.

Sungmin Sung-min, also spelled Seong-min, is a Korean unisex given name (predominantly masculine). Its meaning differs based on the hanja used to write each syllable of the name. There are 27 hanja with the reading " sung" and 27 hanja with the reading ...

was partnered with Hyorin. MBLAQ's

was paired with Lizzy, actor Lee Tae-sung with Seungyeon and comedian Park Heeson with Sunhwa.

Chinese version

The Chinese version of ''We Got Married'' paired Korean and Chinese celebrities. Two out of three pairings were international: T-ara's Hyomin and

's Kyuhyun. It was produced by MBC to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of South Korea's diplomatic ties with China. It aired as a Valentine's Day special in China on an entertainment channel of Shanghai Media Group and on MBC on 25 February but with only the Korean segments. ;Couples * Hyomin of T-ara & Fu Xinbo of BoBo * Kyuhyun of Super Junior & Lou Yixiao * MC Jin Wei & Zhu Chi Dan * Chansung of

& Liu Yan

Global Edition

A global edition spinoff of the widely popular ''We Got Married'', get to see how the on-screen virtual marriage between idol celebrities from different countries work out through weekly missions and candid interviews. Couples are paired from Korea, Japan and Taiwan. ;Season 1 Release date: April 7, 2013 - July 14, 2013 * Lee Hong-ki & Mina Fujii * Ok Taec-yeon (

) & Emma Wu (Gui Gui) ;Season 2 Release date: April 5, 2014 - July 12, 2014 *

Heechul Kim Hee-chul (; born July 10, 1983), better known mononymously as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior and has further participated in its subgroup Super ...

(

) & Puff Kuo ( Dream Girls) * Key (

) & Alissa Yagi

We Are In Love

The licensed remake of popular South Korean Variety Show We Got Married, titled “We Are In Love” was broadcast starting on 19 April 2015. It has the same basic format except that the couples are not 'married' but 'dating'. This change was made in order to present a more realistic story in which couples first must be in love to form the basis of marriage and then get married. ;Couples 1st Season (2015) * Choi Si-won of

& Chinese supermodel Liu Wen * Taiwanese Actress Ruby Lin & Actor Ren Zhong * Chinese Singer-Actor

Qiao Renliang Qiao Renliang (; October 15, 1987 – September 16, 2016), also known as Kimi Qiao, was a Chinese singer and actor. He took part in the second season of ''My Hero'' (加油好男儿) and finished the competition as the runner-up for that season ...

& Actress

Xu Lu Xu Lu (, born 28 December 1994), also known as Lulu Xu, is a Chinese actress and singer. She first became recognized in China for her role in the drama ''Empresses in the Palace'' (2012) and internationally with the drama '' One and a Half Summ ...

2nd Season (2016) * Actress Song Ji-hyo (member of Running Man) & Taiwanese Actor Chen Bolin * Hong Kong actor Shawn Yue and Chinese actress Zhou DongYu * Chinese actress/singer Li Qin and actor Wei Daxun

Awards and nominations

References

External links

''We Got Married'' official MBC website
* {{We Got Married South Korean dating and relationship reality television series South Korean variety television shows MBC TV original programming 2008 South Korean television series debuts Korean-language television shows