Dispatch’s annual “New Year’s Couple” reveal has once again become a hot topic of discussion—this time not because of a confirmed celebrity relationship, but due to growing debate over who has never been revealed.
Since the early 2000s, Dispatch has been known for exposing high-profile celebrity relationships, with the New Year’s couple reveal becoming an unofficial tradition eagerly anticipated by fans each January. Past reveals have included actors Yoo Hae-jin and Kim Hye-soo, as well as idol couples like Jennie (BLACKPINK) and Kai (EXO) and Jihyo (TWICE) and Kang Daniel.
However, a recent viral post reignited discussion after netizens noticed a striking pattern: no New Year’s couple has ever come from HYBE.
As fans revisited Dispatch’s past relationship exposes, many pointed out that at least one member of the original “Big 3” agencies—SM, YG, or JYP—has consistently appeared in Dispatch reports. HYBE, on the other hand, has remained noticeably absent.
This observation quickly led to speculation, with some netizens theorizing that HYBE may be paying Dispatch to suppress dating news involving its artists. Comments suggesting financial arrangements between entertainment companies and media outlets rapidly spread across social media.
Others pushed back against what they called conspiracy theories, noting that paying to block dating exposes has long been rumored across the industry—not something unique to HYBE. Some even argued that such practices, if true, reflect an effort to protect artists’ privacy rather than hide wrongdoing.
“Companies have always paid to bury dating news if they cared enough,” one commenter wrote, while another added, “If HYBE is paying to protect their artists’ private lives, what’s actually wrong with that?”
At the same time, netizens criticized fans who appeared eager for a HYBE-related reveal, calling it invasive and unnecessary. Many emphasized that idols deserve privacy regardless of their agency, especially given the intense scrutiny surrounding celebrity relationships in K-pop.
“They deserve privacy—dating isn’t a scandal,” read one widely shared post.
Despite the heated online debate, no concrete evidence has emerged to support claims of preferential treatment or payments tied specifically to HYBE. Dispatch itself has not commented on the discussion, leaving the matter firmly in the realm of online speculation.
Let’s take a look back at the couples Dispatch has exposed over the years.
2010: Yoo Hae-jin & Kim Hye-soo
On the first day of 2010, Dispatch disclosed a series of dating evidence of Yoo Hae-jin and Kim Hye-soo. After the news broke, it immediately took social media by storm.
Netizens were curious how Yoo Hae-jin managed to win the heart of sexy goddess Kim Hye-soo as they claim Yoo Hae-jin is not outstandingly handsome and Kim Hye-soo seems to be out of his league. Although they got together with sincere feelings, due to public pressure, in 2011, the two officially called it quits with the most common reason, busy schedules.
2013: Rain & Kim Tae-hee
Rain and Kim Tae-hee is a rare New Year couple of Dispatch with a happy ending. On the first day of 2013, Dispatch created a stir across Asia by revealing dating photos of two Korean top stars. After getting to know each other through an advertising project, Rain fell in love with Kim Tae-hee and attempted to win her over. The two kept their relationship low key and decided to walk down the aisle in 2017. Up to now, the golden couple is still happy together. Their small family cannot get any more perfect with the birth of 2 little princesses.
2014: Yoona (Girls’ Generation) & Lee Seung-gi
Lee Seung-gi and Yoona grabbed all the headlines on the first day of 2014 after being reported to be dating by Dispatch. Despite being enthusiastically supported by the public as they share many similarities in terms of successful careers, clean personal lives and beautiful visuals, Yoona and Lee Seung-gi went separate ways after a year and 9 months of dating, leaving many regrets for the fans.
2015: Lee Jung-jae & Im Se-ryung
Im Se-ryung, ex-wife of Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong and “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae had their dating photos posted by Dispatch on January 1, 2015. After her divorce, from longtime friends, Im Se-ryung took her relationship with Lee Jung-jae up a notch. The dating story of Lee Jung-jae and Im Se-ryung is particularly appealing to Korean netizens because of the couple’s wealth and family background. While Im Se-ryung is a talented businesswoman and chaebol heiress with a fortune of up to 300 billion won, Lee Jung-jae is a powerful A-list actor. Up to now, the couple has dated publicly for 6 years. Their relationship is still growing strong.
2016: TVXQ’s Junsu & EXID’s Hani
Dispatch started 2016 with the dating news of Junsu and Hani. It was reported that the couple had been together for 6 months and Junsu pursued Hani first. The two’s regular dating spot was Junsu’s private apartment. Sadly in September 2017, the two officially broke up after more than a year of dating.
2018: G-Dragon & Lee Joo-yeon
The 2018 New Year couple is G-Dragon and Lee Joo-yeon. The public was not surprised by this news because the two had revealed many signs of dating before. G-Dragon’s agency also did not confirm or deny, so up to now, many people are still confused about the relationship status of the couple. And similar to previous dating rumors, GD himself did not say anything about his relationship with Lee Joo-yeon.
2018: Lee Joon & Jung So-min
In 2018, Dispatch “unveiled” two couples. While G-Dragon and Lee Joo-yeon did not confirm the rumors, Lee Joon and Jung So-min became the couple that netizens love the most in Dispatch history. It is also because of the lovely and sweet actions of the two for each other in the secret paparazzi photos recorded. However, Lee Joon and Jung So-min broke up 3 years later.
2019: EXO’s Kai & BLACKPINK’s Jennie
Dispatch kicked off 2019 with the dating news of the luxurious couple Kai (EXO) and Jennie (BLACKPINK). SM and YG representatives also quickly confirmed this relationship. However, only 25 days after going public, which is less than a month, two idols announced their breakup.
2021: Hyun Bin & Son Ye-jin
On the first day of this year, Dispatch “unveiled” the couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. Before that, the two had been involved in dating rumors many times and were even once caught dating in the US in 2019. And after being unveiled by Dispatch, the couple “Crash Landing on You” did not deny their relationship anymore. It is known that Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have the same hobby of golfing and have been dating since the time of filming “Crash Landing on You”. Up to now, it has been almost a year of public dating, Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have received a lot of support, and there are even rumors that the couple will soon get married.
2023: IU & Lee Jong-suk
Lee Jong-suk and IU’s dating news sparked major attention, especially because Dispatch revealed it on December 31 instead of its usual January 1 tradition. This unexpected timing led to speculation among netizens, with some suggesting Lee Jong-suk hinted at his relationship during the MBC Drama Awards, prompting Dispatch to move up the reveal. Others believe Dispatch acted early out of concern that Lee Jong-suk might confirm the relationship himself before their report.
As the new year approaches, anticipation for Dispatch’s next reveal remains high—but so does scrutiny over the ethics, motivations, and consequences of such exposés in today’s evolving entertainment landscape.
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