K-pop star Sandara Park apologized to her ex-boyfriends on South Korean program KBS JOY’s “Love Intervention,” when she appeared as a guest on October 6.
Sandara or Dara rose to prominence in the Philippines after being a contestant on the talent show Star Circle Quest in 2004. She later signed with the Korean company YG Entertainment where she debuted as a K-pop idol with the group 2NE1.
In the said TV program, Dara shared her experiences when the panel was discussing about romance during the time of the pandemic.
She revealed that she has been in a non-face-to-face relationship even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve been in ‘untact’ (non face-to-face contact) relationships even before COVID-19,” she said.
She explained that during the time when she was still training to be a K-pop star, the agency scolded her for being in a relationship because trainees are highly discouraged from dating. She also said that even after her group debuted, the agency implemented a five-year dating ban.
“When I was a trainee, I was scolded for being in a relationship, and my manager took away my cellphone. Then after I debuted, there was a five-year dating ban,” Dara said.
In South Korea, K-pop star aspirants undergo strict and rigorous training in order to hone their skills in singing, dancing, and even acting. The training, which often lasts for years, is known to be extremely difficult as some aspirants tend to give up their dream because of the pressure.
Meanwhile, Dara said that she really stuck by the rules of her company even after she debuted and didn’t date anyone for five years. She said that she followed the rules, unlike some K-pop idols who dated in secret. She also revealed that she only dated actively just recently.
“I really didn’t date because they told me not to,” she said. “Only recently did I make up my mind to date actively. All I needed was a will to be more assertive.”
Without addressing specific names, Dara continued saying, “I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my ex-boyfriends.”
Her comment made the audience of the TV show burst into laughter as they found her honesty hilarious.
Dara’s K-pop group 2NE1 become one of the best-selling girl groups of all time before their disbandment in 2016.
She is known to have been in a relationship with Filipino actor Joseph Bitangcol in 2009. The two met during their Star Circle Quest audition where they were both contestants.
The former 2NE1 member was also linked to G-Dragon who is a South Korean rapper and singer-songwriter who is the leader of the hip hop boy band Big Bang. The rumors between them surfaced when they were both in the Philippines and did the same work.
