Recently, rumors of a romantic relationship between BLACKPINK's Rosé and actor Kang Dong-won spread through online communities. Some netizens claimed the pair were wearing matching necklaces and outerwear, calling them "couple items," and highlighted their simultaneous attendance at the Seoul COEX art fair and appearance in fashion event photos as evidence of a romantic involvement.

In response to the rumors, BLACKPINK's agency, YG Entertainment (hereinafter referred to as YG), initially stated on the 17th, "It is difficult to confirm as it is the artist's private area."

Previously, YG neither confirmed nor denied dating rumors involving BLACKPINK's Jennie and BTS's V, AKMU's Lee Chan-hyuk and fromis_9's Lee Saerom, citing "artists' private lives." However, they did deny dating rumors involving BLACKPINK's Jisoo and soccer player Son Heung-min, and G-Dragon and Lee Myung-hee, the granddaughter of the Shinsegae Group chairman.

Netizens argued that avoiding answers due to privacy is an "YG-style acknowledgement," and the majority reacted as if the dating rumors between Rosé and Kang Dong-won were true. This led to discussions on the couple's 16-year age gap.

Later that day, YG reversed their position and released a statement saying, "Rosé's dating rumor is not true. We would appreciate it if you could help prevent the spread of false information." The agency denied the rumor, adjusting their initial stance.

Speculation suggests that the issue of BLACKPINK's contract renewal may have influenced this unusual reversal by YG. BLACKPINK, a world-renowned group, is currently conducting their largest-scale K-pop girl group world tour, "BORN PINK," which has attracted approximately 1.5 million attendees. The group recently gained attention as headliners at the American 'Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival' on the 16th.

With their contract renewal scheduled for August, BLACKPINK is receiving attention both domestically and internationally. Some interpret YG's unusual reversal and clarification on the sensitive issue as stemming from the uncertainty surrounding BLACKPINK's future.

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