“I’m so happy for him”: HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon announces marriage in a personal letter, fans celebrate the youngest member’s life update

HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon is the latest K-pop idol to get married this year. On June 28, the 32-year-old idol, who is also the group’s maknae (youngest member), posted a handwritten letter on his personal Instagram account sharing the news with his fans. He did not give any details about his to-be wife and, as per the agency’s statement, he has a non-celebrity partner.

HIGHLIGHT, formerly known as BEAST, is a popular second-generation K-pop group. Veteran K-pop fans took to Twitter to celebrate the news. They posted supportive messages for the idol and even wondered if the other members had girlfriends already. Few fans even remarked that it seemed like the youngest member was paving the way for his older members in terms of marriage.

HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon announces plans for a quiet wedding in September

In a letter addressed to his fans, HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon shared that although he was nervous to announce the big step he was taking, he mustered up the courage to break the news to his fans first. The big step was him planning a quiet wedding in September this year with his non-celebrity girlfriend.

“To LIGHTs. Hello. This is HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon. It’s been a long time since I’ve left a handwritten letter for you guys like this. This could be rather sudden. I’m very nervous and cautious even now, because I know very well that this could surprise you, and also make you sad. But I took up the courage to write this as I want to be the first to tell you.”

The 32-year-old idol talked about how he met someone who understands him. After spending some time with them, he realized that he wanted to spend his future with her, and mentioned the reason behind wanting a quiet and intimate wedding. He also apologized for “being silent all this while” about his personal life.

“Thankfully, I met someone that understands me a lot and shows me lots of consideration. At some point, I came to think that I wish to spend my future with them, and so, we will be having a wedding this September. As they are not someone who is in the same line of work as me, we will be having the wedding quietly, with just our family and close acquaintances. I’m really sorry for having had no choice but to stay silent all this while, and for not being able to tell you this.”

HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon further added how grateful he is of the fans’ love. He thanked them for giving him an “unimaginable amount of love” ever since he debuted in 2009, although he was only 19 years old at the time of their debut.

“I met everyone at the age of 19 for the first time. At home and in the group, I have lived as the maknae. I’m so grateful that everyone also cheered me on and loved me, more so as the maknae. Both now and during my debut days, although I was someone who is lacking, thanks to the unimaginable amount of love that you guys have given me, I was able to grow and become who I am today. I know this well too.”

He ended the letter with thanking his HIGHLIGHT members and shared that he would not forget the love he had received all these years. He added that he will repay all the love by continuing to work harder as an idol.

“I’m also grateful to the HIGHLIGHT members who have always cheered me on and trusted me. I will not forget this gratitude and work much harder than I have up to now. I will repay everyone’s love by working my best in my position as HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon. Thank you for reading this post until the end, as unrefined as it was.”

Fans react to HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon's marriage announcement

As the first HIGHLIGHT member to get married, fans of the 14-year-old idol group were ecstatic to see Dongwoon taking the next big step in his life. Fans celebrated the news and even joked around, mentioning that the youngest member had opened the path for his older members to get married.

Check out how they reacted to HIGHLIGHT’s Dongwoon's marriage news below:

Meanwhile, HIGHLIGHT’s agency, Around US Entertainment, also released a statement asking fans to understand that they cannot share the wedding details. It stated that Dongwoon and his bride-to-be's parents decided to have a quiet wedding ceremony.

About the author

Afreen has been a K-Pop Content Specialist at Sportskeeda since 2021. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, along with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. Afreen has over 4+ years of working in various positions including being an entertainment content writer with Pinkvilla’s K-pop division Hallyutalk and CineDope, and as a copywriter at Flying Cursor.

As per Afreen, she loves her work because she gets to write about the things she is obsessed with. Her thorough research and following the two-genuine-source rule of journalism helps her produce the most accurate content, along with helping her be up-to-date with the industry.

Afreen has had the privilege to interview The Rose's frontrunner, WOOSUNG, and LIONESSES, K-pop's first openly LGBTQ+ group. She is a big fan of SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, BTS, and The Rose for their hard work, sincerity, and the comic relief their shows provide.

When she is off her shift, Afreen explores the streets of Nottingham in the UK, cooks, and listens to new music.

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Edited by Susrita Das