Recently, a common response strategy related to dating rumors is noticeable in the entertainment industry. It is the silence strategy, where agencies do not disclose their position, citing 'privacy' as the reason. Recently, notable celebrities include actress Hyeri and Nana.
On the 1st, there was a report that Hyeri has been in a relationship with dancer Woo-tae for over a year. In response, the agency Sublime stated to OSEN, "We cannot confirm it as it is the actor's private life," and conveyed their inability to confirm the information. Typically, agencies respond to dating rumors with positions such as 'false rumors' or 'dating'; however, 'unable to confirm' is often interpreted in the industry as a de facto indirect acknowledgment.
A similar case occurred last December. Actress Nana was involved in dating rumors with model Chae Jong-seok, and at that time, the agency Sublime also responded, saying, "It is difficult to confirm due to privacy." Chae Jong-seok's side also stated, "We cannot confirm it as it is the model's private life," and similarly remained silent.
Both individuals are maintaining silence without public rebuttals, which lends weight to the possibility of a relationship. Particularly, Nana and Chae Jong-seok have been spotted in various circumstances, such as on a trip to Bali, romantic social media posts, and couple acting in music videos, amplifying the dating rumors.
In Hyeri's case, she previously dated Ryu Jun-yeol publicly for seven years before breaking up in November last year. Prior to that, she attracted attention for a relationship that overcame a 16-year age gap with Tony An, a former member of H.O.T. Interest is growing about whether she will engage in another public relationship.
In this way, the agency Sublime is repeatedly using the expression 'unable to confirm' regarding dating rumors involving its actors, effectively adopting a no-comment strategy. An industry source analyzed that "it could be a sophisticated defensive strategy to avoid unnecessary controversy in uncertain situations."
However, among fans, there are reactions such as, "Not disclosing a position only creates more curiosity," and "Silence feels like acknowledgment." Particularly, in both cases, the consistent silence in the face of confirmed relationship circumstances is interpreted not only as an individual attitude of the celebrities but also as a consistent response policy of the agency. Most entertainment insiders interpret the privacy card as implicit acknowledgment.
Moving forward, interest is focused on how the common strategy of 'silence' from both the parties involved and the agency regarding the celebrities' dating rumors will ultimately unfold.
[Photo] OSEN DB, SNS, music video stills
[OSEN]