Every year on January 1, Korean entertainment fans hold their breath in anticipation, not for resolutions, but for Dispatch’s annual appointment reveal. Since 2010, the infamous paparazzi media has consistently “exposed” A-list celebrity couples with indisputable photographic evidence. Now, as we approach 2026, speculation swirls once again: Who will be the first couple of the year?
Over the past 15 years, Dispatch has revealed some of the most interesting relationships in K-entertainment history: Kim Hye Soo and Yoo Hae Jin, Bi Rain and Kim Tae Hee, IU and Lee Jong Suk, and Jennie and Kai, just to name a few. With detailed surveillance, late-night walks in parks, and secret parking lot encounters caught on camera, Dispatch has become Korea’s unofficial dating authority.
However, netizens have long noticed a serious anomaly: not a single dating scandal revealed by Dispatch involved idols under the HYBE labels. This includes powerhouses like BTS, SEVENTEEN, LE SSERAFIM, TXT and ENHYPEN, whose combined number of idols exceeds 80.
This absence raises eyebrows. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), fans are asking: “Why has HYBE never been targeted?” Some say that HYBE idols are exceptionally discreet. Others, however, propose darker theories, suggesting a mutually beneficial relationship between Dispatch and HYBE, protecting idols in exchange for influence or incentives.
Yet, for now, these are just rumors. The truth lies in Dispatch’s jealously guarded editorial vaults.
Will 2026 break the pattern? With the new year quickly approaching, many fans believe this could be the year a HYBE idol is finally caught in the paparazzi lens.
That said, Dispatch also skipped its iconic reveals during sensitive national moments. In 2025, the newspaper remained silent out of respect for the national mourning over the tragic Jeju Air crash. In 2024, they prioritized tributes to actor Lee Sun Kyun. Other missed years include 2017 (Park Geun Hye impeachment trial) and 2022 (COVID-19 peak).
Despite criticism of invasion of privacy, public sentiment towards the Dispatch complaints has softened. If the couple is close and maintains a clean image, fans often respond with surprising support.
So, with just a few days to go until January 1, 2026, all eyes are once again on Dispatch. Will they break the silence on HYBE? Or will another top-tier couple take center stage?
Let the guessing games begin.
