Say you are getting your regular dose of a K-Drama. And you are watching a heart-fluttering scene between the main leads—your dopamine level rises (for obvious reasons).
But then you find out that the lead couple is actually dating in real life. That is when we collectively lose our chill, and the dopamine turns to adrenaline.
On 3rd July, the entire K-Pop, K-drama, Hallyu world lost their marbles when a Korean media outlet revealed that YoonA and Jun Ho were dating. This may seem like your regular run-off-the-mill news, but this is like a royal affair in the K-Pop world.
Just a couple of weeks back, we discussed their new drama, King The Land, and how this OTP was long overdue. The queen of SM entertainment and the It-boy of JYP is like the Westside story.
And it feels like our collective manifestations are bearing fruits. The news was reported first by PROOF, a Korean media outlet that read–
“An industry insider revealed to PROOF that Lee Jun Ho and Lim YoonA had been dating before filming JTBC’s weekend drama King The Land — The two are said to have chosen this drama for that reason.”
While fans were ecstatic with the news, there were still a few speculations about the source’s credibility.
Why Can YoonA and Junho Dating News Be Fake?
REASON 1
There is one major news outlet in Korea that is dedicated to celebrity dating scandals, called Dispatch. This outlet is notorious for going through the depths of the Earth and the limits of the sky to find credible information on celebrities.
They have reported several “dating scandals” that were later revealed to be true. And their dominance is such that they would always be the first to report any major link-ups. But in this case, such a significant dating rumor was not reported first by Dispatch.
Instead, a relatively new outlet, established in 2023— PROOF exposes such a huge moment. Fans could not digest that an unknown outlet could deliver substantiated news. Some netizens commented that the outlet needed a huge scandal to boost its visibility, and hence they made up a rumor for clout.
REASON 2
The most suspected reason is a PR move. King The Land is competing with several dramas aired in the same time slot or within the same month.
Usually, K-dramas last for only 16 episodes. Within this time frame, they must find ways to boost their ratings to survive the cutthroat competition. And what better way to entice viewers than shipping the lead couple in real life?
The ratings for Descendants Of The Sun skyrocketed when the main lead, Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo, were dating during the show. The Song-Song couple’s supremacy even led to having their statue in reference to the show.
Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin’s dating rumors landed their show, Crash Landing on You, as one of the highly-rated Korean shows.
Many netizens believe this is an attempt to save the stale storyline of King The Land. But the ratings say otherwise, as the show recorded a double-digit rating of 12%, which is quite a rare feat in the recent K-Dramas.
REASON 3
Another theory suggests that the competitor channel is trying to create fake rumors in an attempt to distort the ratings. JTBC has been churning some of the highest-rated shows in the past few years, and now “King The Land” shows similar results.
Some people believe that more established channels are trying to pull down their ratings by paying media to create fake dating scandals for the lead couple.
What Did YoonA And Junho’s Agencies Say About The Dating Rumors?
Both agencies have flat-out denied all the rumors about YoonA and Junho. SM Entertainment (YoonA’s agency) has issued a statement that–
“The two are just close, and the dating rumors are not true.”
Meanwhile, JYP Entertainment also denied these rumors and maintained that they are professional actors who happen to be close friends.
Yet, netizens have displayed immense support regardless of whether the rumors are true.
“lol i need some of you to understand that you’re not any close to YoonA and you can’t assume stuff about her personal life.. her agency literally said that she’s not in a relationship with junho so why do u keep making scenarios about her lying about her personal life.”
“Yes they are used to scandal like that, and Junho was not the first person who was rumored to be dating YoonA, because the first was Taecyeon, but their relationship was fine until now, so nothing will change from the scandal.”
“Just leave them alone.. whether they are dating each other or someone else or not, it’s their personal life.. ! Let them be.. Rather talk about and enjoy the awesome work #Junho & #YoonA are doing in #KingTheLand.”
“It is a very thin line between “close friends” and “boy/girlfriend” lololol… Keep going, you two.. Just keep going…”
What do you think? Are these rumors true, or is it just another fake scandal? How did you like their show so far?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
