How They Met: The Idol Couple With A 17-Year Age Gap

Shim Mina and Ryu Philip are a celebrity couple known for their 17-year age gap. Mina is 50 years old, while Ryu Philip is only 33.

Shim Mina used to be a backup dancer for Lee Jiyoon before she made her own debut. Her chance appearance on television at the World Cup FIFA match in 2002 allowed her to launch her career as a singer. The audience was captivated by her beauty!

She shocked the world when she announced her marriage to Ryu Philip, a former member of boy group SoREAL. They got married in 2018, when he was still in his 20s. She shared the story of how they met on tvN’s TAXI.

The two met in a club! The backstory is a little complicated, with Mina’s company having ties to the Chinese firm that was managing male idol group ZE:A. As such, she ended up being close friends with a member in the group. On the other hand, Ryu Philip’s group, SoREAL, was a direct junior group from ZE:A’s company.

They both attended a birthday party at the club, hosted by their mutual friend from ZE:A. According to Mina, Ryu Philip only struck up a conversation with her three to four hours after the party began. He grabbed her by the waist and chatted with her. As the night wound down, he asked her to meet again the next day. She invited him to her house to join her and her friends and he agreed. He later confessed that Mina was totally his ideal type and they began dating.

The rest, as they say, is history!