Rough times for K-pop stars’ boyfriends “The sin of loving Karina, IU and Jisoo”

Going back in time to trace the history of idol stars’ dating rumors, Girls’ Generation’s Sooyoung comes to mind. Sooyoung and actor Jung Kyung-ho vehemently denied their relationship for three rounds before admitting to their dating in 2014. Although it was during Girls’ Generation’s peak, Sooyoung recalled it as the “most nerve-wracking day” and expressed the extreme pressure, “There weren’t many public relationships back then.” Now they are acknowledged by the public as a long-lasting couple.

Fast forward a decade, what is the situation like now? While the public’s view on celebrities’ public relationships has become more lenient, K-pop girl groups still seem to be an exception. Moreover, due to the global reach of K-pop, criticisms from fans regarding dating issues have escalated on a global scale.

The individuals who unexpectedly became public enemies due to scandals with girl groups are Lee Jae-wook, Lee Jong-suk and Ahn Bo-hyun. Just by looking at the recent situations of these three actors, they have been continuously embroiled in controversies, making their tribulations unparalleled.

Firstly, let’s focus on the most recently highlighted subject of dating rumors, Lee Jae-wook, who is enduring harsh criticism after confirming his relationship with aespa’s Karina. Since acknowledging their relationship on February 27th, Lee Jae-wook has faced indiscriminate appearance critiques, and on top of that, baseless “transit love” rumors have spread, causing him considerable distress. Karina’s situation is no different. Anti-fans criticized Karina for various reasons, including her role as the group’s leader and officially confirming her relationship with Lee Jae-wook just a month after they began dating. A truck protest was even held in front of Karina’s agency SM Entertainment, stating, “Is the love fans give you not enough? Why did you choose to betray your fans? Please apologize.“

Facing continuous backlash, Lee Jae-wook eventually confronted the malicious comments. On February 29th, his agency C-JeS Studio stated, “After articles about Lee Jae-wook’s personal life were released, despite our official statement asking for warm regard as they are still getting to know each other, we have confirmed malicious posts online insulting the actor and containing false information with malicious intent. This is a serious violation of personal rights, and we inform you that we will take strong legal action through our legal representatives.”

Although the couple has already separated, Ahn Bo-hyun also faced a significant crisis similar to Lee Jae-wook while dating BLACKPINK’s Jisoo. Despite being a respected actor with a strong foothold in his field, Ahn Bo-hyun became a target of ridicule from netizens, from his appearance and popularity to his past behaviors. Unable to withstand the pressure, both parties announced their breakup just two months after officially confirming their relationship.

Compared to Lee Jae-wook and Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Jong-suk is experiencing a relatively smooth relationship with his girlfriend IU. However, that doesn’t mean their relationship is without twists and turns. The two admitted to dating on December 31st, 2022. Despite a year has passed, IU and Lee Jong-suk continued to attract attention, but the excessive interest became toxic, leading to untimely breakup rumors. Fortunately, the rumors were quickly dispelled with eyewitness accounts of Lee Jong-suk attending IU’s concert on March 2nd.

However, as long as male stars embrace their significant others, the relentless “love suffering” is expected to continue. Nevertheless, if you are a true fan, shouldn’t you send loving and compassionate gazes to youthful couples who have bravely conquered love, rather than harvesting harsh standards?