He couldn’t start dating until his late twenties.
Although the K-Pop industry’s strict standards are easing over time due to adopting a global approach, dating remains largely taboo among idols. It’s still a big enough problem to cost an artist their entire career. But things were much worse for second-generation groups, at least in some agencies.
The second generation JYP entertainment group of boys 2 in the morning recently appeared on a YouTube show on the channel I live TV and talked about their experiences dating as an idol. The Kwonone of the members, addressed his past comment about the group’s no-dating-until-disbanding rule.
He explained that it was ingrained in him as a young idol that dating would sabotage the group. This “brainwashing,” as Kwon called it, was done by none other than YOU Park (Jin Young Parkfounder of JYP Entertainment).
A year had passed since our debut. Jinyoung really brainwashed me hyung. Back then I was more focused on ‘I worked so hard to debut’… so I said no (to dating).
— Jo Kwon
When asked if that meant he had never dated, Jo Kwon said that since he was at 2 in the morning, he has experienced both love and breakups. But he was well into his twenties when he had his first romantic relationship.
But after a while Sunye got married. And when I got through 25 and was going into my late 20s… I dated someone when I was 27. It was a little late.
— Jo Kwon
Although Jo Kwon felt a heavy responsibility not to enter into relationships to protect his career, that of his groupmate Jinwoon he was often involved in dating rumors with female idols included Wonder Girls‘ Yes AND Nine Muses‘ Kyungri. He admitted his relationship with the latter in 2017, and even passively acknowledged it after their breakup in 2021.
Meanwhile, the new generation of idol groups is also not completely forgiven by the no dating rule. Recently, a group of fifth-generation kids made a public pledge to avoid dating. You can read more about it here.
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