As expected, Taylor Swift is now trending in Canada because, indeed, there was a concert announcement about shows in Toronto. We can talk about that later. But before that, and still, there’s another major popstar who’s been trending big on social media across multiple platforms: Jisoo of BLACKPINK. And that’s because it was confirmed earlier today that she has a boyfriend. Local paps in Korea photographed Jisoo with actor Ahn Bo Hyun outside of her home recently. Bo Hyun isn’t among the most famous actors in East Asia but his popularity has been rising steadily over the last couple of years with more lead roles. 

 

This is a big deal – BLACKPINK is a big deal, Jisoo is a big deal, and whenever two people in the entertainment industry are revealed to be dating, it’s a big deal. What makes this situation extra interesting too is that both Jisoo and Bo Hyun’s teams wasted no time coming in with a confirmation. There was no hedging or delaying, and both their agencies released a statement: 

“They are getting to know each other with positive feelings. We would be thankful if you look upon them with warmth.”

But then Jisoo actually commented herself first on the situation telling Dispatch that: 

“I’m still in the beginning, so I’m cautious. I have a good feeling about him. We are in the process of getting to know each other little by little.”

This is highly unusual in the Korean star system. Idol romances are not commonly handled this way. They’re known to keep their personal relationships very, very private because they’re worried about fan reaction. More specifically, they’re worried fans will turn away. 

 

For Jisoo to casually just be like, yep, I have a boyfriend without over-explaining or making assurances or apologising (which can sometimes happen, even though it’s none of anyone’s f-cking business, really) is new. And it may signal a slow but unstoppable change in the industry where one day soon, idols may be more free to live openly and get rid of that fear of losing their professional gains because they’ve made choices in their personal lives. In other words – live more of their lives!