Blackpink’s Jisoo has become one of the highest-profile K-pop stars to go public with her relationship, in a highly pressurised industry with notoriously fickle fans and record companies that monitor every aspect of their stars’ private lives.
The 28-year-old and actor Ahn Bo-hyun, 35, are “getting to know each other with good feelings”, according to Korean media reports.
The couple’s respective agencies acknowledged the relationship on Thursday, asking the public for their support and understanding.
Ahn, a Korean model and actor, has appeared in popular drama series such as Itaewon Class and Yumi’s Cells.
While members of high-profile groups such as EXO and Twice have gone public with their partners in recent years, the announcement remains unusual as top K-pop stars rarely reveal much about their private lives.
Just a decade ago, it was common practice for agencies to ban new stars from dating or even having a personal mobile phone. Any admission of a romantic relationship or a partner was scandalous to fans.
Idols being in private relationships may be “bad for business”, according to sociologist Patrick Williams of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Source : BBC