K-pop stars Jihyo and Kang Daniel break up because they don't have time to meet

The former couple, both 23, made public their romance last year in August. Photos: Twice/Instagram and Kang Daniel/Instagram

K-pop girl group Twice's leader Jihyo and former boy band member Kang Daniel have broken up.

The news was confirmed by Twice's management agency JYP Entertainment.

South Korean tabloid Dispatch reported on Tuesday (Nov 10) that the two K-pop stars had gone their separate ways as they had little time to meet due to their busy schedules.

JYP Entertainment confirmed the news and said: "It is true that they broke up recently."

Formerly a member of the now-disbanded boy band Wanna One, Kang is now managed by his own label.

The former couple, both 23, made public their romance last year in August after photos of Jihyo, whose real name is Park Ji-hyo, arriving at Kang's residence in Seoul were published by Dispatch.

Their relationship made headlines as it is rare for idols to date openly in the K-pop industry, where romantic relationships are often forbidden.

The two are also major K-pop stars in their own right. The nine-member Twice is one of the most popular South Korean girl groups in recent years while Kang sailed to first place in the second season of reality competition series Produce 101 in 2017, debuting shortly after as a member of Wanna One.

His solo career since the group disbanded in 2019 has also blossomed.

He surpassed an impressive one million copies in cumulative album sales in August, just over a year since his solo debut. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network