Former Girls’ Day member Hyeri has been in the news lately after multiple industry insiders hinted at a brewing romance between her and Street Man Fighter’s Wootae. While her agency initially chose to stay vague, saying they couldn’t comment on her personal life, Hyeri has now stepped in to address the speculation herself. Though she didn’t confirm or deny the relationship, she admitted she’s aware of the rumours and how it is affecting the fandom while promising to be more careful going forward.
Hyeri addresses dating speculation with Woo Tae
The K-pop idol turned actor, Hyeri, shared a heartfelt message with fans on Bubble (a fan chat app), saying she misses them and hopes everyone stays happy and healthy, according to Chosun Biz. Replying to fans, she wrote, “I miss you so much that I can’t sleep. I really missed you too. The alarm went off too early, right? I’m sorry,” adding, “I’m diligently reading every reply you sent me. The only thing I truly wish for is to live happily and healthily without pain! That’s all!”
The Reply 1988 star then added she’s been under attack online for a while now, but what bothers her more is seeing fans get dragged into it, hinting at the dating rumours. “I’ve been under a lot of attacks for a long time, so I’m okay. But it really bothers me that the fans are hurting,” she wrote. “I’m really sorry, I’ll pay more attention next time! I hope you have a good day. I should try to sleep a little. I always appreciate and love you, you know that, right? I’ll do better! Thank you!” She was responding to a fan who wrote on Bubble, “Hyeri, don’t respond to the bad comments… It hurts your heart.” While some fans came to her support, others accused her of playing the ‘Karina card’, apologising to the public instead of owning up to the relationship and leaving things hanging.
Hyeri’s agency Sublime earlier told OSEN, “We cannot confirm whether the actress is in a relationship as it pertains to her personal life.”
Where did the rumour start?
On July 1, reports surfaced that Hyeri and Woo Tae have been quietly dating ever since they worked together on the movie Victory. He was the choreographer, teaching her the routines, and over time, the two allegedly grew close. Industry insiders claimed the two met during the movie’s shoot in Geoje and spent a lot of time together practising. “Afterwards, they continued to date in Seoul. It hasn’t been long since they told anyone, but they’ve been dating for almost a year,” a source familiar with both sides told the Korean media. Another added, “They are being considerate of each other as it is a very cautious meeting. They are affectionate because they helped each other during their most difficult times.” Soon after, a video surfaced online showing the two dancing, and their eye contact, the body language, the playfulness, everything had fans convinced they might be way more than just colleagues.
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Hyeri was previously in a seven-year relationship with actor Ryu Jun Yeol. While their breakup seemed smooth on the surface, things took a turn last year when Ryu’s relationship with actress Han So Hee came to light. Many felt the timelines overlapped, hinting that things with Hyeri hadn’t fully ended when he started seeing Han. Ryu stayed silent, but Han and Hyeri ended up in a messy online back-and-forth with fandom involved. It got so bad, Han publicly announced her breakup with Ryu, saying she was never the reason behind his split with Hyeri, and even called him out for keeping quiet. Eventually, both Han and Hyeri cleared the air and apologised to each other.
