The worlds of K-pop and athletics collide after dating reports of TWICE's Jihyo and Olympic gold medalist Yun Sungbin surfaced on the internet.
On March 25, Jihyo and Sungbin's agencies addressed the dating rumors through official statements.
Jihyo and TWICE's entertainment agency, JYP Entertainment, released an official statement through media outlet Newsen that said: “It is difficult to confirm the report as it is a private matter. We ask for your understanding.”
Sungbin's agency, All That Sports, also released a statement in the likes of JYP Entertainment with media outlet Sports Donga. They said: “It is difficult for us to confirm the athlete's private life as he is not currently an active athlete. Please understand.”
According to an exclusive report from Korean news outlet SWAY last March 24, the singer and athlete have been dating for approximately a year. Jihyo and Sungbin reportedly met through acquaintances and found common interests such as sports.
SWAY revealed that their common date locations are in Geumho-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, and their houses which are five minutes away from each other by car.
The official report also read: “Yoon Sungbin was seen coming and going at Jihyo's house, and they seemed to be a natural couple, including natural skinship.”
They also included a note from an official from the entertainment industry who reportedly knew the two well that said, “Jihyo and Yoon Sungbin are exercise enthusiasts. Yoon Sungbin taught Jihyo how to exercise and they became close friends. They had a lot in common, so their relationship quickly developed into a romantic relationship."
Jihyo is a member of the girl group TWICE, while Sungbin is a skeleton racer who won a gold medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics. They also appeared on various episodes of the South Korean variety show I Live Alone. Sungbin participated in the 2023 Netflix series Physical 100 as well.
MEANWHILE, HERE ARE SOME OF THE KOREAN CELEBRITIES CONFIRMED TO BE DATING IN 2023:
Before the New Year, Korean superstar Song Joong-ki dropped a big announcement that he's already dating a special person.
A few weeks later, he revealed that he's dating the British actress named Katy Louise Saunders. In the same statement, the South Korean actor mentioned that they're already married and expecting a baby.
In 2019, Joong-ki and his ex-wife Song Hye-kyo stunned their fans across the globe, when they got divorced.
In June 2023, several Korean entertainment websites reported about Song Joong-ki announcing the birth of his son in a fan café. Based on Allkpop.com's report, Joong-ki wrote, "I wanted to first share with you one more dream-like news, so I came on (the fan club site). Right now I'm in Italy. I was able to finally meet my baby here in Rome, my wife's hometown."
He also added, "I'm very happy to meet my family and I am taking care of them with a grateful heart."
It was also this year when multi-talented Korean actress-singer IU and 'While You Were Sleeping' actor Lee Jong-suk revealed that they are dating.
5. IU's relationship / The news about IU and Jong-suk's relationship were shared by their agencies. A few days after, they also addressed their fans by writing a letter about the big news through their fan cafes.
For IU, she talked about her relationship with Jong-suk, “He was a colleague for a long time, and we are building up positive feelings while relying on each other. He is a reliable and cute person who has supported me for a long time, always told me I'm amazing, and sent me sincere encouragement. As UAENA always watches over me most closely, I think you must feel that I am in a time where I am emotionally comfortable and doing well.”
For his part, Jong-suk described IU as an “amazing person," who is an inspiration to push his life to become a better person. He said, “She is an amazing person who helps me with my path and concerns of life as a friend, is someone I can rely on, is younger but sometimes feels older, and is like a grown adult but also someone I want to protect. Now she makes me want to be a better person.”
Love blossomed between Lee Do-hyun and Lim Ji-yeon, who were both part of the hit K-revenge drama 'The Glory' starring Daesang awardee Song Hye-kyo.
It was on the first day of April 2023 when South Korean entertainment sites reported the confirmation from Do-hyun's agency, Yuehua Entertainment, and Ji-yeon's agency, Artist Company, that the two actors were getting to know one another.
Many fans are cheering Lim Ji-yeon and Lee Do-hyun after it was announced that the latter would be enlisting in the military, as part of the ROKAF's (Republic of Korea Air Force) military band, on August 14, 2023.
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BLACKPINK member and actress Jisoo and former 'Itaewon Class' actor Ahn Bo-hyun's datng confirmation became a headline not only in South Korea but also abroad.
Jisoo's label, YG Entertainment, made an announcement about the good relationship between her and Bo-hyun, "Jisoo and Ahn Bo Hyun are getting to know each other with good feelings. We would appreciate it if you watched over them warmly,"
FILO BLINKS are showing their support for Jisoo and Bo-hyun.