Actor Lee Dong-wook leads fellow single co-stars to play divorcees in The Divorce Insurance

SINGAPORE – In South Korea, K-drama leading man Lee Dong-wook is known for being something of an eternal bachelor.

The 43-year-old, who has never been married, has said on variety shows that he has grown too comfortable being single and is too lazy to meet new people.

But in the new South Korean series The Divorce Insurance, he portrays Noh Ki-jun. The thrice-divorced member of a product development team at an insurance firm sells divorce insurance to protect couples in case their marriage falls apart.

Lee Da-hee, Lee Joo-been and Lee Kwang-soo play Ki-jun’s co-workers in the romantic comedy, which premieres on Prime Video on March 31. In a Zoom interview with regional media, the cast shares four things about the show. 

1. What’s his damage?

While Lee Dong-wook may be a dream man to many of his fans, his on-screen alter-ego somehow manages to get divorced three times, including once from Jeon Na-rae, the character Lee Da-hee plays.

When asked if Ki-jun has a glaring character deficit that sabotages his relationships, Lee Dong-wook says: “Ki-jun is a really brave character. It takes courage to make the decision to divorce three times. 

“And I think the biggest reason his marriages ended in divorce was because he and his spouse were not able to respect each other’s differences. A very important part of love is to understand and embrace your partner’s differences.”

Lee Kwang-soo, 39, plays Ahn Jeon-man, Ki-jun’s best friend and fellow divorcee. He adds: “I have a line in the show that says, ‘Ki-jun ended up getting a divorce, not because he’s careless but because he’s too caring and thoughtful.’ If you tune in to the show, you will be able to find out what this means.”

2. Bonding over food

Joking and laughing during the 20-minute interview, it is clear the four co-stars are on good terms in real life.

The secret to their good chemistry? Having meals together, paid for by Lee Dong-wook. 

Lee Da-hee, 39, says: “Dong-wook buys us dinner all the time and treats us to lots of great food.”

Lee Kwang-soo adds: “If we film in different regions of South Korea, he will try and look up the best restaurants there to buy us dinner.”

One time, Lee Dong-wook took care of a bet 35-year-old actress Lee Joo-been lost, which required her to buy everyone dinner. The youngest of the main cast plays a woman who files for divorce after being mistreated by her in-laws.

Lee Joo-been, who was in the hit romance series Queen Of Tears (2024), recalls: “When I went to pay, I realised Dong-wook had gone ahead and paid.”

3. Corporate hierarchy

Blending workplace drama and romance, much of The Divorce Insurance revolves around the insurance firm’s office. A corporate hierarchy exists among the quartet too.

When asked who they would like to swop roles with, Lee Da-hee and Lee Kwang-soo picked each other’s character. 

He says: “Na-rae holds the highest position among us in the office, and I’ve never played a higher-up, like an executive vice-president of a company, in any of my roles.”

Lee Da-hee adds: “While Kwang-soo has never played a higher-up, Jeon-man doesn’t really do what he’s told by his boss. He really doesn’t care. That is why Na-rae is annoyed by him, so I would like to switch roles and annoy him for once.”

4. Divorcees’ top relationship advice

While all four actors are single in real life, their characters have experience being married and divorced, and they have sage relationship advice to give. 

“Don’t give up everything for your marriage, because there are other very important parts of life aside from marriage,” Lee Da-hee says.

Lee Joo-been adds: “My character would say, ‘Don’t be so wary of others and just follow your heart.’”

Meanwhile, Lee Dong-wook has the most practical piece of advice for anyone considering entering or exiting a marriage.

He remarks: “Just think about the amount of alimony you would have to pay.”