Blackpink star Jisoo is dating Ahn Bo-hyun and the couple are in the early days of their relationship, it has been confirmed.
The South Korean singer, 28, and the actor, 35, are said to be ‘getting to know each other slowly’ amid their budding romance.
The relationship was confirmed by Ahn’s agency FN Entertainment in a statement given to CNN after the pair have been spotted together in Seoul in recent days.
It confirmed: ‘The two are in a stage where they are getting to know each other slowly with good feelings. We would appreciate if you could watch the couple with a warm gaze.’
Blackpink’s record label YG Entertainment were said to have given a similar statement confirming the relationship to a South Korean news agency.
Romance: Blackpink star Jisoo (pictured) is dating Ahn Bo-hyun and the couple are in the early days of their relationship, it has been confirmed
It is very rare for agencies to comment on the romantic relationships of K-pop stars, as they are usually shrouded in secrecy with not much revealed about their private lives.
It is a move away from strict rules which saw K-pop stars banned from dating by their agencies and any admission of a romantic relationship was seen to be scandalous.
However, in recent years, members of high-profile groups including EXO and Twice have gone public with their partners in a step away from the rigid terms.
Jisoo’s new romance marks the first time that a member of Blackpink has ever publicly confirmed their relationship status.
The girl band – composed of Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa – have soared to global fame and celebrity status since forming in 2016, and have broken records amid a huge K-pop popularity storm.
Jisoo’s new partner Ahn made his acting debut back in 2014 and is well-known for his roles in Korean dramas including Itaewon Class and Descendants of the Sun.
MailOnline has contacted Jisoo’s representatives for comment.
Sociologist Patrick Williams, of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told the BBC that the perception of K-pop stars’ romances are changing, as private relationships could now be ‘bad for business’.
He added of the stars themselves: ‘I think that they’re starting to [be] confident enough to push back against some of the constraining dimensions of [the K-pop industry].’
Relationship: The relationship was confirmed by Ahn’s agency FN Entertainment in a statement given to CNN (South Korean actor Ahn is pictured in June)
Rare step: Jisoo’s romance marks the first time that a member of Blackpink has ever confirmed their relationship status, amid the usual secrecy surrounding K-pop star’s relationships
Blackpink have seen an incredible rise to fame and recently made history by becoming the first ever Korean band to headline a major UK music festival.
However, Lisa, 26, is said to be still undergoing contract renewal negotiations to stay with the group, according to Korean news outlet Munhwa Ilbo (via Just Jared).
The Money singer’s contract with YG Entertainment, the company that manages Blackpink, is set to expire this month.
Discussions have been reportedly ongoing between Lisa and YG Entertainment regarding terms for her new contract, but no deal has been reached as of yet.
Rumors that Lisa may not renew her contract started to circulate after an anonymous source told Munhwa Ilbo: ‘We discussed Lisa’s appearance [on a show] while coordinating with YG and Lisa’s schedule, but it was conveyed [to us] that it is difficult to arrange scheduled activities after August as their contract renewal with Lisa is uncertain.’
However, another source from YG Entertainment clarified the ongoing negotiations with the statement: ‘[The uncertain scheduling] is due to the tour schedule as well as her individually scheduled activities. It has nothing to do with the contract renewal. Contract renewals are currently under discussion.’
Last month, the K-pop girl group closed out the second weekend of BST Hyde Park in London to a sold-out crowd of 65,000 fans.
As well as breaking ground at Hyde Park, the megastars also made history as the first K-pop act to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
The band have performed across the US after gaining popularity with fans stateside, and have even featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Good Morning America.
This month, Blackpink are set to continue blowing fans away with their 2022/2023 Born Pink tour.
The group recently added four stadium shows to their upcoming North American tour dates, showing their incredible popularity across the entire globe.
The new shows are at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on August 12, Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on August 18, San Francisco’s Oracle Park on August 22 and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on August 26.
Global fame: Blackpink have seen an incredible rise to fame and recently made history by becoming the first ever K-pop act to headline Coachella (pictured)
Uncertainty: Singer Lisa, 26, is said to be currently undergoing contract renewal negotiations to stay with the group, according to Korean news outlet Munhwa Ilbo
The tour, which kicked off last year, has already produced sold-out concerts in South Korea, North America, and Europe.
As well as thriving on the music scene, the members have also risen to global celebrity status and have secured a whole host of impressive deals.
Jisoo has worked as a Dior ambassador, while Jennie has partnered with Chanel and become a global brand ambassador for Calvin Klein, and Rose has leant her hand to Saint Laurent.
Blackpink holds the title of the most-subscribed act on YouTube, with over 82million subscribers, and has won two MTV Video Music Awards.
The girl group also teamed up with Netflix to release their 2020 documentary BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky, giving fans a look into how the band work behind the scenes.
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