Music

K-pop Stars Lim Young Woong and Former SISTAR's Soyou Refute Dating Allegations in Formal Declarations

Jul 11, 2023 | by Nobelle Borines

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In response to the recent whirlwind of dating speculations on the internet, K-pop stars Lim Young Woong and Soyou, formerly of SISTAR, have independently dispelled these rumors through formal statements from their respective agencies.

Chart-topping solo artist Lim Young Woong and Soyou, a former member of the K-pop band SISTAR, refuted allegations of a romantic relationship on July 10th.

Lim Young Woong's management, Mulgogi Music, swiftly addressed the situation, saying, "The rumors of our artist, Lim Young Woong's relationship with Soyou are baseless." The agency firmly reasserted, "The rumors are not true."

Soyou's agency, Big Planet Made, followed suit, dismissing the speculations and providing a clarification. They noted that Soyou's travel schedule to Jeju Island had merely coincided with Lim Young Woong's schedule, and there was no romantic entanglement. The agency conveyed, "Soyou traveled to Jeju Island for a professional commitment. Her itinerary overlapped with Lim Young Woong's, but it's purely coincidental, and Soyou has confirmed that there is no personal connection between them."

The two musicians were thrown into the online spotlight on July 10th, as numerous dating rumors involving them started to make the rounds.

As per a report by Wikitree, the rumors started after a series of photographs from a restaurant on Jeju Island circulated online, purportedly showing Lim Young Woong and Soyou.

The images, presumably posted by a BBQ restaurant affiliate, depicted Lim Young Woong and Soyou separately. The dating rumor mill began churning as netizens discovered that both photos were taken on the same day.

In response to fan inquiries about whether the artists had dined together, the person who originally posted the photos removed Soyou's picture and vaguely answered, "they came from different parties," fueling netizens' curiosity further.

Lim Young Woong, a winner of TV Chosun's reality show "Mr. Trot," has a string of successful songs such as "Polaroid," "London Boy," "Hero," and "Grain of Sand" under his belt, making him one of today's leading soloists in K-pop.

Formerly a member of the K-pop girl group SISTAR, Kang Jihyun, better known as Soyou, signed an exclusive contract with Big Planet Made on September 29, 2021, after SISTAR disbanded on May 22, 2017.