Why dating rumours are a headache for K-pop agencies

Two of K-pop’s most recognisable stars, Aespa’s Winter and BTS’ Jungkook, have recently come under intense scrutiny — not for their music or performances, but over dating rumours and the silence that has followed.

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The situation highlights a familiar dilemma for K-pop agencies: When artistes’ private lives become public speculation, both confirmation and denial can carry significant risks.

Jungkook, 28, and Winter, 24, were swept up in dating rumours circulating online, fuelled by unconfirmed claims that the two had similar tattoos, in-ear headphones, nail art and clothing.

Neither the artistes nor their agencies addressed the speculation.

After days of silence, both artistes resumed communication with fans without mentioning the rumours.

Winter, whose real name is Kim Min-jeong, posted a brief message on fan communication platform Bubble on Dec 13, urging fans to stay warm and be careful on icy roads.

Jungkook, whose full name is Jeon Jung-kook, followed a day later with a selfie posted on social media. On Dec 15, he interacted with fans through a Weverse Live broadcast, where he spoke about wanting to return with new music, once again avoiding any reference to the speculations.