{
  "id": 6889429,
  "title": "'Winter Sonata' star Bae Yong-joon spotted on golf course in rare public appearance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/winter-sonata-star-bae-yong-joon-spotted-on-golf-course-in-rare-6889429",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-12T08:22:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/20260912/winter-sonata-star-bae-yong-joon-spotted-on-golf-course-in-rare-public-appearance"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Actor Bae Yong-joon, a prominent figure from the early Korean wave, was recently seen on a golf course in an infrequent public appearance. The sighting, shared by amateur golfer Kim Seo-ah on social media, offers a glimpse of the star after he largely retreated from the entertainment industry over a decade ago. Kim, who posted a photo of herself with Bae, described it as an \"enjoyable round of golf\" and noted Bae's broad smile and peace sign gesture. Bae, who dons a green top and white pants in the image, also stands out with visible gray hair underneath his cap. Born in 1972, Kim is a promising amateur golfer who has garnered recognition for his strong finishes in amateur golf championships. Since making a special appearance in the KBS drama Dream High in 2011, Bae has largely remained out of the public eye, with occasional sightings and photos surfacing online to provide rare updates on his whereabouts. Bae's career skyrocketed with the 2002 drama Winter Sonata, making him one of the most recognizable faces of the first-generation Korean wave, especially in Japan. He was married to Park Soo-jin.",
  "summary": "Actor Bae Yong-joon, one of the biggest stars of the early Korean wave, has been spotted on a golf course in a rare public glimpse more than a decade after largely stepping away from the entertainment industry. Amateur golfer Kim Seo-ah shared a photo with Bae on social media Friday, writing, \"An enjoyable round of golf with actor Bae Yong-joon.\" The photo shows the two posing together on the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "'Winter Sonata' star Bae Yong-joon spotted on golf course in rare public appearance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/winter-sonata-star-bae-yong-joon-spotted-on-golf-course-in-rare",
        "published": "2026-09-12T08:12:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}