Jihyo, the leader of K-pop girl group Twice, is reportedly dating South Korea’s Olympic skeleton champion Yun Sung-bin. Photo: Top Physical/Instagram, Jihyo/Instagram
Talk about a power couple.
Singer Jihyo, the leader of K-pop girl group Twice, is reportedly dating South Korea’s Olympic skeleton champion Yun Sung-bin, a breakout star of the hit Netflix reality show Physical: 100 (2023 to present), South Korean media outlet Sway reported on March 25.
Jihyo, 27, and Yun, 29, are said to have been in a secret relationship for about a year after being introduced to each other by an acquaintance.
The pair, who live within five minutes of each other, apparently bonded over their common love of sport, according to Sway. Both also appeared in South Korean reality show I Live Alone (2013 to present), which follows the daily lives of celebrities in an intimate setting.
The agencies of both celebrities neither confirmed nor denied the romance rumours when approached by South Korean media.
“It is difficult to confirm this matter due to privacy reasons,” Jihyo’s agency JYP Entertainment said on March 25, according to The Korea Times. “We ask for your understanding.”
Yun’s agency, All That Sports, mirrored JYP’s stance, saying it is difficult to comment on the retired athlete’s personal life.
Jihyo, whose full name is Park Ji-hyo, debuted with Twice in 2015 and is on the Ready To Be World Tour with the group. She previously dated K-pop idol Kang Daniel, 27, before they went their separate ways in November 2020 as they had little time to meet due to their busy schedules.
Meanwhile, Yun is a former member of South Korea’s national skeleton team. He won the gold medal in the men’s skeleton at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, becoming the first Asian athlete to win in the sport. He retired after the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
Nicknamed “Iron Man” on Physical: 100, he was a fan favourite and front runner in the competition, but did not make it to the Top Five. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
