Jeon So-yeon, a member of the popular Korean girl group (G)I-DLE, recently talked about the sensitive topic of Korean idols' love affairs on a program, saying that she thinks "it would be strange if idols couldn't date"; but if one wants to maintain the support of fans while dating, that is greedy.
Tian Xiaojuan said: "Smoking and drinking are legal things for adults, but in idol culture, the last thing you can do is fall in love. This is what I find the strangest thing." She also mentioned that falling in love is as natural as eating and is a part of life.
Xiaojuan further pointed out that compared to not being able to drive, a romantic relationship actually does not need to be hidden. But if they don’t choose to hide, idols need to be mentally prepared to face the possible reactions from fans. “‘I want to capture the hearts of fans, but I also want to be in love’, I don’t think that’s right, I think that’s contradictory, that’s greed.”
Idol romance has always been a sensitive topic in the K-POP industry. Last year, Karina, a member of the girl group aespa, was revealed to be in a relationship. Although she did not violate any rules, she was forced to apologize due to the backlash from fans. The Korean entertainment industry tends to portray idols as "romantically obtainable", making public relationships an act of betrayal of fans' feelings.
Tian Xiaojuan's remarks also received support from many Korean netizens. Netizens said: "It makes sense, you can fall in love, but you have to be mentally prepared that fans will leave", "It is natural for people with such wonderful talents to get together and develop feelings at such a beautiful age. But once it is made public, fans will inevitably be disgusted", "That is the fans' mood and the freedom of consumers", "It is freedom to fall in love, and it is also freedom not to fall in love. Why should they be forced to devote themselves?" and so on.
