Why did Song Joong-ki and Park Bo-gum drift apart? A tale of brotherhood, tears and sudden radio silence

There was a time when Song Joong-ki and Park Bo-gum were hailed as one of South Korean entertainment’s strongest brotherhoods. From joint ad campaigns to tearful award speeches, their bond felt deeply genuine — the kind that fans admired as a true friendship, both on and off screen.

However, these gestures of affection have noticeably diminished in recent years, leading to speculation about the state of their relationship.

A friendship in the spotlight

Both actors were represented by Blossom Entertainment. Joong-ki, who was senior to Bo-gum would always provide guidance and support to him, which a tearful Bo-gum acknowledged in 2017, during the KBS Drama awards. He said,  while receiving his award for Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, “When I was working on Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, I felt like I was lacking. But I'm grateful to Song Joong-ki, who gave me advice every time.” His speech moved Joong-ki to tears as well. 

Later Joong-ki explained his reaction saying, "I was happy about [Park] Bo-gum winning, but I also recalled all the worries he had about acting before the production [Moonlight Drawn by Clouds] began. I also remembered what it was like when I won the same award five years ago.”

Collective endeavours

There was a remarkable comfort and joy the two had in their ads, and in the behind-the-scenes footage, the two were often seen uncontrollably laughing. Some of their popular ads included Domino’s Pizza and LINE Pay Card. A look through The YouTube comments, you would see notes such as, “They really are the best duo in South Korea.” Another added, “I really miss seeing them together! This was the best brotherhood Korea gave us.” 

Speculations and silence

In recent years, fans have noticed a lack of public interactions between Song Joong-ki and Park Bo-gum, sparking speculation about a possible rift. After the release of Encounter in 2018 — a K-drama starring Park Bo-gum and Song Hye-kyo, who was married to Song Joong-ki at the time — rumors began to swirl that the couple’s relationship may have become strained due to the drama.

At the time, the last known comment Bo-gum made about Joong-ki was when he was asked about his friend’s reaction to Encounter — to which Bo-gum responded enthusiastically that he hadn’t had a chance to discuss it with him yet.

However, when speculation intensified following Joong-ki’s divorce announcement in 2019, Park Bo-gum’s agency, Blossom Entertainment, issued a firm denial. The agency called the rumors “absolutely not true” and “offensive,” stressing that Bo-gum was being unfairly dragged into the situation simply because of his professional collaboration with Song Hye-kyo. They also stated their intent to pursue legal action against those spreading baseless claims.

Nevertheless, while both sides have not commented on their friendship as such since, the two haven't been seen in public together since that time, and fans dearly miss their friendship.