TWICE's Jihyo, Olympian Yun Sung Bin's agencies respond to dating rumors
The agencies of TWICE's Jihyo and Olympic skeleton gold medalist and TV personality Yun Sung Bin have responded to the dating rumors, saying that the matter is difficult to confirm at the moment.
According to Korean entertainment website Soompi, JYP Entertainment, Jihyo's agency, neither denied nor confirmed the news, stating, "It is difficult to confirm as it is [the artist's] personal matter. We ask for your understanding."
Similarly, All That Sports, Yun's agency, responded the same way. "As he is no longer an active athlete, we do not manage his personal life. It is difficult to confirm."
The dating rumors sparked when entertainment news outlet Sway reported that the two Korean stars had "been dating for a year after being introduced to each other through an acquaintance and became closer due to their mutual love of sports."
"Jihyo and Yun Sung Bin are both fitness enthusiasts. Yoon Sung Bin's guidance in exercises brought them closer, swiftly evolving their bond into a romantic relationship," an entertainment industry insider told the media outlet, translated by AllKpop.
Moreover, the report says that Geumho-dong in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, is allegedly their favorite courting location. It has been said that Yun and Jihyo live only a 5-minute drive apart and frequently have romantic dates at one other's houses.
Likewise, an avid Sway reader allegedly witnessed the rumored romance between the two, claiming that Yun regularly went to Jihyo's residence, where they "naturally engaged in affectionate displays."
In 2015, Jihyo made her JYP Entertainment debut as a member of the hit K-pop girl group TWICE. The group just finished promotional work for their 13th EP, With YOU-th, released on February 23. They recently ended the "Ready to Be" world tour, which began last April 2023.
In August 2023, the 27-year-old idol released her debut EP, ZONE.
Yun, on the other hand, used to compete professionally in skeleton racing and was a member of Korea's national team for the sport. In 2018, he won the gold medal in men's skeleton during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, making him the first Asian in the category to achieve this feat.
In 2022, Yun retired as an athlete after the Beijing Winter Olympics and has been working as a broadcaster. He appeared through his YouTube channel and on TV series, including Netflix's 2023 variety show Physical: 100.
The two have appeared on the MBC reality show I Live Alone, a South Korean entertainment program featuring "unscripted documentary techniques" to show how single Korean celebrities live and its relatability without "significant filtering."