Rumors of a past romance between singer Kim Jong-kook and actress Yoon Eun-hye have resurfaced after old photos of the two visiting the exact location on the same day began circulating online.
On July 9, 2 photos of (separately) of Kim and Yoon started trending on online communities and SNS.
The two photos, allegedly taken at a tanning salon on June 10, 2008, feature handwritten thank-you notes with the same date, leading many to believe that the two stars visited the same salon on the same day.
The news has prompted old dating rumors that first circulated during their stint as cast members on the popular early 2000s SBS variety show X-Man.
While the two had denied any romantic relationship for years, fans were eager to rediscover whether anything had happened between them in the past.
The rumors began to gain traction in 2022 after Yoon Eun-hye uploaded a similar YouTube video, in which the actress shared a story about an ex-boyfriend whose text messages had become increasingly sparse over time.
She recalled writing down all the messages she received in a notebook and giving it to him.
The story was eerily similar to one Kim Jong-kook relayed in 2018 on the SBS show My Little Old Boy, when he revealed that an ex-girlfriend had done the same thing to him.
The striking similarities between their stories raised eyebrows among fans, many of whom saw it as indirect confirmation of their connection.
Following the speculation, Yoon Eun-hye deleted the video from her channel, explaining that there was a "file issue" and that she was "reorganizing" her content. However, the timing of the removal only fueled further suspicion.
At the time, Yoon's agency, JArmy Entertainment, denied the dating rumors, stating to Sports Chosun, "The past dating rumors between Yoon Eun-hye and Kim Jong-kook are not true." Kim Jong-kook has consistently declined to comment on the speculation.
Curiosity remains high, even in the absence of any official confirmation.
The actual timeline of the potential events that occurred has since been analyzed on online forums, where followers have been scrutinizing interviews and television appearances for further clues.
With neither party addressing the most recent development, the mystery surrounding Kim Jong-kook and Yoon Eun-hye's relationship status continues to spark fascination among longtime fans of Korean entertainment.
