Kim Soo Hyun, BLACKPINK's Lisa, Cha Eun Woo, Park Sung Hoon: Newsmakers of the week

This week has been rife with controversies, dating rumors, and surprising endorsements swirling around some of K-pop's biggest stars. From BLACKPINK's Lisa facing plagiarism allegations over her 'Rockstar' MV, to Jennie enduring fat-shaming comments, the week has been filled with intrigue and debate. Meanwhile, are Rosé and Cha Eun Woo dating? The TikTok detectives say yes! Plus, Park Sung Hoon's burger deal gone wrong, while Kim Soo Hyun's Instagram antics keep fans guessing about his love life. Read on to catch up on all the latest details.

BLACKPINK's Jennie has found herself at the center of controversy following malicious comments targeting her appearance. Reports on July 4 detailed how the K-pop star faced fat-shaming remarks, allegedly criticizing her weight gain. Jennie recently attended a Chanel event, where she earned praise for her attire: a gorgeous see-through top paired with lace shorts and stockings. Despite many fans celebrating her beauty, a significant number of netizens chose to focus on her physical appearance negatively. Comments ranged from accusations of poor self-care to observations about her alleged weight gain and facial appearance, sparking debate and concern among followers of the idol.

Kim Soo Hyun recently sparked curiosity among fans after briefly sharing and then deleting three photos on his Instagram. The snapshots captured different moments of the actor: a poised black-and-white shot in a black blazer, a color photo of him smiling and waving, and a playful selfie. Instead, he replaced them with a video of clouds taken from an airplane, prompting speculation and disappointment among fans. Some speculated the deletion was due to perceived similarities to actress Kim Ji-won's recent social media post featuring a black cutout dress at a Dior event in Taiwan, possibly to avoid unfounded 'lovestagram' rumors.

The controversy surrounding BLACKPINK Lisa's latest music video ‘Rockstar’ has escalated following allegations of plagiarism by Gabriel Moses, director of Travis Scott's ‘FE!N’ music video. Moses claimed similarities between Lisa's video and ‘FE!N’, suggesting Lisa's team may have used his work as a reference without permission. While some fans defended Lisa, citing common trends in music video aesthetics, Moses further alleged that Lisa's team asked his editor to work on ‘Rockstar’, using ‘FE!N’ as a reference. Despite the editor declining, Lisa's team proceeded. Earlier, Chinese designer Jewel Y also accused Lisa of plagiarizing a 2020 design in the MV, particularly highlighting a star-shaped halter top. These accusations have sparked widespread debate on social media platforms, with Lisa's team yet to formally respond to the allegations.

Park Sung Hoon recently announced his collaboration with fast-food giant Burger King, sparking a mixed response from fans. The actor shared the news via an Instagram video captioned ‘Coming Soon’, showcasing his talent with a clever play on the word ‘Ragu’. While some fans admired Park’s performance, others were disappointed due to Burger King’s inclusion in the BDS boycott list in support of Palestine. Reports indicate that the chain’s Israeli franchise provides free meals to the Israeli military, which has fueled criticism. Park's announcement video has since been flooded with comments urging him to reconsider the collaboration in light of the boycott.

Recently, a TikTok video compiling various ‘dating evidence’ of BLACKPINK's Rosé and Cha Eun Woo has sparked significant interest, amassing over 600,000 views. The video highlights instances suggesting a close relationship between the two celebrities. It begins with images from 2021 showing both Rosé and Cha Eun Woo separately posting photos from the same art exhibition. In 2022, they were both present in Paris during fashion week, sharing similar snapshots from renowned restaurants. The intrigue deepened in 2023 when Cha Eun Woo attended Coachella on the same day BLACKPINK performed and was later seen at their exclusive afterparty. Moreover, both Rosé and Cha Eun Woo posted content from TeamLabs Planets Museum in Japan just days apart in April, along with photos that strikingly resembled each other. Fans expressed excitement, commenting on how well the two complement each other and expressing hopes for their happiness if they were indeed a couple.