KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Jung Ho-yeon and actor Lee Dong-hwi have ended their nine-year relationship, their agencies confirmed on Nov 26.
According to The Korea Times, the breakup statement noted they had decided to "return to being good colleagues," without disclosing further details.
Jung, 30, and Lee, 39, became public about their relationship in 2016 and were admired as one of South Korea's most enduring celebrity couples.
Jung began her career as a model and rose to prominence after placing second in Korea's Next Top Model Season 4 in 2013.
Her acting debut as Kang Sae-byeok in Netflix's global hit Squid Game earned her critical acclaim and several awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series.
Jung recently starred in the Apple TV+ series Disclaimer, alongside Hollywood star Cate Blanchett.
Lee, who debuted in 2013, is widely recognised for his role as Ryu Dong-ryong in the beloved drama Reply 1988 and as detective Young-ho in the box-office hit Extreme Job.
He also starred in this year's action film The Roundup: Punishment and is performing in a play in South Korea.
The couple often spoke fondly of each other in public.
In August, while filming Kwak Jun-bin's World Taxi Restaurant 2 in the United States, Lee referred to Jung as his "girlfriend and best friend" during a candid moment with a taxi driver.