Last October 2014, I had the chance to interview Kring Elenzano and Jimmy Kim for The Korea Blog. Known as the Krimmy Couple (Kring + Jimmy = Krimmy), the Filipino-Korea couple was making headlines as contestants of the wedding reality TV show "I Do" in the Philippines. At the time of the interview, they were already part of the Top 3 remaining pairs. I was surprised that after a couple of days, they were declared as the grand winners of the show! (Click HERE for to read their first feature.)

Kring and Jimmy, the grand winners of ''I Do''

Now that the first quarter of 2015 is finished (and I assume that they have finally settled down), I messaged the adorable duo if I can get some updates about their life nowadays.

Officially Mr. and Mrs. Kim

After winning the competition, everything went fast. Part of their prize was an all-expense paid wedding so they had to contact their relatives and friends in a heartbeat. Kring and Jimmy’s wedding served as the final episode of “I Do.”

“The wedding was entirely a Philippine wedding in terms of the traditions during the ceremony but we will have our traditional Korean wedding at the Namsangol Hanok Village this June,” Kring explained.

Under One Roof

Jimmy used to live around Malate, a part of Manila that has a lot of Korean grocery stores and restaurants offering food delivery. The area where they transferred, Quezon City, is not really a Korean town so it was somewhat challenging for Jimmy to find Korean food whenever he craves. Nevertheless, he is okay with it since he has no problem with munching Filipino bites.

Kring appreciates the experience she and Jimmy gained inside the reality TV show. “It was like living together already. I'm very thankful to I Do for helping us to be emotionally prepared for married life. Because of that, there weren't many major adjustments on the first few months as a married couple. The show had been such a big blessing for us, not just because of the prizes and the opportunities but it really did change our lives for the better.”

First Seollal Together

Last winter, the Krimmy Couple went to Korea to spend their first Seollal (설날, Lunar New Year). In reality, Seollal is the craziest time for a woman because of the tedious preparation and the various activities involved. Jimmy half-jokingly said to Kring, “Hey, this is your time to shine and prove your skills!”

In spite of the freezing cold weather, the Krimmy Couple went out to participate in the different activities for Seollal

“Good thing Jimmy was there to coach me on what to do. Everyone was busy preparing for the festivity and I was a bit clueless. Jimmy said that as the wife, I should help my mother-in-law in cooking. Of course Jimmy’s mom was alright even if I didn’t assist her but I still insisted because it was part of Korean culture,” Kring recalled.

When asked what was the most memorable thing during their Seollal in Korea, the Krimmy couple had a funny answer: receiving sebae don (세뱃돈, Lunar New Year Money).

Bowing down as a sign of respect

Jimmy said he already knew already that his parents would give them money but for Kring, it was somewhat surprising. She said the last time she received money from someone as a gift was when she was a kid. Kring explained, “In the Philippines, kids usually get money during Christmas from their parents. It felt like being a kid all over again. But on a serious note, more than the money, I am more thankful with the warm welcome and the quality time I had with Jimmy’s parents and relatives. That is something really priceless.”

Kring having a blast with her first Seollal experience

What’s Next

Presently, the Krimmy couple is still occasionally active with the Philippine Kpop Convention, Inc. (PKCI). Kring, being one of the founding members of the non-profit organization, is pleased that even if she is not as involved as she used to be, the present officers and members are doing a great job in continuing the advocacies of PKCI.

“I still do hostings and attend K-Pop events but I believe it’s time for the new breed of PKCI members to unleash what they can do. I’m pleased that they are taking care of the organization and are relentlessly crafting ideas on how to promote K-Pop in the Philippines,” Kring narrated.

The Krimmy couple appeared during the 6th Philippine KPop Convention in Manila, where they had the chance to hang out with Korean stars like Sistar, GOT7, and Bernard Park.

Backstage with Sistar

Kring facilitating a game for GOT7 (photo by the Philippine KPop Convention)

They are both keeping busy managing their business and occasionally guesting in, and hosting events and shows. “We are working on many exciting things individually and as a couple,” said Jimmy. “We are thankful to the people who believed in us even before and during the show and we hope they will continue to support the Krimmy couple.”

If you would like to be updated on the new and upcoming projects they have this year or if you’d like to connect with Jimmy and Kring, check out their SNS accounts:

Twitter/Instagram: @KringElenzano @IAmJimmyKim
Facebook: facebook.com/KrimmyCouple

By Marius Oczon for the Korea Blog