Friendship Level: Leaving an Awards Show For You
Okay, you guys, you will not BELIEVE the sweetest thing that just happened. We all know how important year-end awards shows are in K-Pop, right? It’s like the Grammys and the VMAs all rolled into one. So, EXO was at the 2025 Melon Music Awards (MMA) tonight, looking amazing on the red carpet as always. But at the same time, one of the biggest celebrity couples in Korea, Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-a, were getting married after dating for a whole decade! Such a huge day for them.
The drama was that EXO’s D.O. (his real name is Do Kyung-soo) is super, super close friends with Kim Woo-bin. Like, they’re part of a famous celebrity friend group that everyone adores. D.O. had even said in an interview that he was supposed to sing the congratulatory song at the wedding but couldn’t because of the awards show. Everyone was so bummed for them!
The Great Escape from the MMA
Just when we thought he’d have to send his congrats via text, D.O. did the unthinkable. Right after walking the red carpet at the Gocheok Sky Dome, he literally bolted! He jumped in a car and rushed across Seoul to the Shilla Hotel where the wedding was happening. Can you even imagine the logistics? It’s a super busy night, and those two places are not exactly next door to each other. It’s like trying to get from a concert in Brooklyn to a wedding in Times Square during rush hour – pure chaos!
He apparently only stayed for about 15 minutes, long enough to give his best wishes to the newlyweds, and then zoomed right back to the awards show. And get this—he made it back in time for EXO’s big performance! Talk about dedication.
Back in Time for an Epic Performance
When EXO got on stage, you would’ve never known D.O. had just completed a cross-town mission. He performed flawlessly with the rest of the members, doing a medley of their biggest hits like ‘Growl’ and ‘Love Shot’. They even performed a brand new song from their album that’s coming out next January for the first time ever! The man has unlimited energy, I swear.
The Definition of “Uiri” (의리)
In Korea, we have this concept called “의리” (pronounced ui-ri), which means loyalty, honor, and sticking by your people no matter what. This is the perfect example of it. D.O. could have easily stayed at the awards show, as his work commitment was totally valid, but he chose to go the extra mile for his friend on his special day. It just proves how genuine their friendship is. With another one of their close friends, Lee Kwang-soo, as the wedding MC, it was a total friendship goals event. Honestly, this is the cutest and most heartwarming K-celeb story of the year!
