They worked on the movie together.
Koreaboo
5 minutes ago
Actor Jang Dong Yoon‘s upcoming marriage to actress Kim Seung Yoon has sparked unexpected backlash, as fans revisit a crowdfunding campaign for a movie the couple worked on together.
On August 25, Jang Dong Yoon personally announced through a handwritten letter that he would be getting married in October. His bride was revealed to be actress Kim Seung Yoon. The couple plans to hold a small, private ceremony attended only by their families.
Following the surprise announcement, however, attention quickly turned toward Nuruk, Jang Dong Yoon’s first feature-length directorial project, which stars Kim Seung Yoon as its female lead.
Before its theatrical release, Nuruk held a crowdfunding campaign for approximately a month between November and December 2025. The campaign ultimately raised approximately ₩26.4 million KRW (about $19,100 USD).
Different rewards were offered depending on how much supporters contributed, with benefits aimed particularly at Jang Dong Yoon’s existing fanbase. Those who donated at least ₩100,000 KRW (about $72.30 USD) reportedly received an invitation to a Nuruk GV event as well as the opportunity to attend a personal autograph session with Jang Dong Yoon.
At the time, Jang Dong Yoon and Kim Seung Yoon’s romantic relationship was not public. Now that the pair have revealed that they are getting married, some fans are looking at the crowdfunding campaign very differently.
Critics have taken issue with the fact that fans were financially supporting a movie directed by Jang Dong Yoon and starring the woman who is now revealed to be his fiancée, while access to the actor himself was used as one of the higher-tier crowdfunding rewards.
Some fans expressed feeling deceived, arguing that knowing about the relationship could have affected their decision to financially support the project. The criticism has become particularly heated because of how Jang Dong Yoon described Kim Seung Yoon in his marriage announcement.
Rather than describing their relationship as recent, he called her someone he had been with for “a long time.” This has led some fans to speculate that the pair may already have been dating when the crowdfunding campaign took place in late 2025.
However, the exact date Jang Dong Yoon and Kim Seung Yoon began their romantic relationship has not been disclosed. Therefore, it cannot currently be confirmed that they were a couple during the crowdfunding period.
Others have also defended the actor, arguing that supporters were funding an independent film rather than Jang Dong Yoon’s personal relationship.
From this perspective, the crowdfunding campaign clearly stated what supporters would receive in exchange for their contributions, and the private relationship between the director and one of his actors did not necessarily need to be disclosed.
Jang Dong Yoon and Kim Seung Yoon have actually known each other professionally for years. They worked together on Jang Dong Yoon’s directorial project Please Be My Ear, before collaborating again on Nuruk, with Jang Dong Yoon serving as director and Kim Seung Yoon taking the starring role.
Their longstanding professional connection has now been placed under a new spotlight following the revelation that they are preparing to become husband and wife. With no confirmed dating timeline, allegations that Jang Dong Yoon intentionally used his fans to finance a project for his girlfriend remain speculative.
Still, the revelation has divided fans, with some saying they feel “deceived” by the crowdfunding campaign in hindsight while others argue that an actor’s romantic life should have no bearing on whether fans choose to support his filmmaking.