Fact Check: Are aespa’s Giselle And TREASURE’s Jihoon Dating?

Surprise dating news has been a part of K-Pop for as long as the genre has existed. Because companies often want their stars to appear romantically unattached to others due to the hit their popularity can take, most will keep their relationships under wraps.

This has not always worked, as relationships have been exposed multiple times.

“Dispatch Reveals” — 7 K-Celeb Couples Exposed By The Media Outlet

Recently, a photo suggesting aespa‘s Giselle and TREASURE‘s Jihoon are dating was shared online.

aespa’s Giselle TREASURE’s Jihoon

On January 19, an account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a Tweet with an image of a couple kissing. The tweet’s caption, “Giselle, Jihoon, what are you doing?” was accompanied by many hashtags related to the two idols, including their group’s names.

The tweet quickly gained traction online, reaching nearly 1.6 million views.

지젤 지훈 뭐해?#TREASURE   #트레저#지훈 #JIHOON #ジフン #aespa #에스파#GISELLE #지젤 #ジゼル #treasure好きな人繋がりたい #treasuremakerと繋がりたい #トゥメさんと繋がりたい #트메트친소 #트레저_트친소 #돌판트친소 #마이트친소 pic.twitter.com/A4ozOMAksZ

— 스 (@seu1627198) January 19, 2024

When looking at the image, there are indications that it could be a secretly taken photo of the pair.

The photo resembles other photos secretly taken by outlets like Dispatch for their relationship reveals. The watermark on the picture includes the phrase “ssng,” which is shorthand for sasaeng, or stalker fan.

A stalker fan seeking to “harm” the idols could potentially share an image like this, taken from far away due to their illegal surveillance.

A Dispatch reveal of EXO’s Baekhyun and Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon.

That being said, is this photo really of Giselle and Jihoon?

While there is nothing wrong with idols forming relationships, that is not what is happening in this case. The image is actually from the popular K-Drama, My Love From The Star, which starred Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun.

The particular moment that this photo is from episode 19, around 36 minutes in. After their characters confess their desire to be together despite their differences, they kiss.

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As with all K-Drama kisses, the moment is shown from numerous angles, including one from above and at a distance, where the fake image of Giselle and Jihoon was screenshotted.

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While this would have been a popular fourth-generation couple, they are definitely not dating.