Actress Moon Ga Young’s New Romance Movie Slammed Over Yet Another Baffling Age-Gap Co-Star Pairing

Following the release of the official trailer for Once We Were Us, starring actors Moon Ga Young and Koo Kyo Hwan as exes, K-Moviegoers are expressing discontent over yet another “miscasting,” citing the co-stars’ 14-year age gap as the problem.

In the movie, 29-year-old Moon Ga Young (born 1996) and 42-year-old Koo Kyo Hwan (born 1982) play Jung Won and Lee Eun Ho, respectively, characters who are meant to be around the same age.

Based on the character setting and visuals presented in the trailer, however, viewers are now completely unimpressed with the casting.

An unbalanced “age gap,” or the real-life age difference between the two leads (especially romantic leads), has become a significant issue over the years—with male leads often being deemed too old to be paired with the female leads.

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Viewers argue that the 14-year age difference between Moon Ga Young and Koo Kyo Hwan is “clearly visible,” bound to make the movie less convincing and therefore less successful.

• “This really pisses me off.”
• “Koo Kyo Hwan does look young for his age group… But that does not mean he can play a young character. Who’s the casting director???”
• “If you want the characters to be around the same age, cast actors who are around the same age. Please.”
• “When will this stop? Please put some more thought into casting.”
• “Wow… I would not have known this is a remake of Us And Them. They’re f*cking over the original…”
• “Not only do these two look decades apart, but also they have zero chemistry.”
• “I don’t think they’re fit for romantic roles…”
• “Wait, this is one of my favorite movies…”

Once We Were Us, a Korean movie set to release on December 31, 2025 (KST), is a remake of the beloved 2018 Chinese original, Us and Them, telling the story of two exes crossing paths again on a flight to Korea and reflecting on their past relationship.

Watch the trailer here: