The chemistry between BTS member j-hope and model Irene Kim has drawn a lot of attention on Korean social media and ARMYs are not laughing.
Along with j-hope and another friend, he also visited Kaws. K-pop fans immediately took notice when the BTS member himself posted several photos with Irene Kim and the same acquaintance on his personal Instagram.
ARMY used social media to defend the Arson singer against persistent rumors about his personal life, believing it to be an intrusion on the part of internet users to do so. Fans think that BTS members, regardless of their gender, have the right to hang out with friends. Also, not every casual meeting should spark an online conversation about the celebrity’s romantic relationship.
Since then, Irene Kim has been seen socializing with members of BTS on numerous occasions, including the MORE singer’s Jack in the Box pre-release party. She was even seen going to Jimin’s inaugural performance as the festival’s headlining act at 2022 Lollapalooza. Later, she paid j-hope and Hyejoo Woo, the editor-in-chief of W Korea magazine, a visit to Kaws’ studio.
It is intriguing to see that the Bangtan member and Irene Kim have not hesitated to post photos of them together on their Instagram pages. Irene also posted photos from the Jack in the Box listening party with the caption that she was accompanied by rainbow, fire, and heart emojis:
Irene Kim, Jimin, and the W Korea editor appeared in the BTS member’s Instagram pictures of his record-breaking performance at the 2022 Lollapalooza event.
Irene Kim also uploaded a video to her Instagram story in which she can be seen cheering on a BTS artist as they set the stage on fire at Lollapalooza. This led Korean netizens to wonder if the two are romantically involved.
BLACKPINK’s Rosé was previously romantically linked to the BTS member, but K-Pop fans were quick to dismiss the speculation. The claims gained popularity after Pierre Sang, a well-known Korean-born French chef, posted images of K-pop stars eating at his establishment in June this year.
BTS’s Jin shares the humorous explanation for the absence of pictures at Hope’s j-pre-release party: “I sat in the corner reading webtoons.”
The first week of sales of the singer’s first solo album is now complete. Jack in the Box had the seventh-highest first-week sales of any K-pop solo album in history from July 29 to August 4, according to data released by Hanteo. Even Kang Daniel’s MAGENTA, which sold 323,167 copies, was outsold.
His second solo project after Hope World, Jack In The Box features 10 songs, including pre-release single MORE and title track Arson. It is his first full-length album.