K-pop stars HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung are tying the knot in October

K-pop idols HyunA, 32, and Yong Jun-hyung, 34, have confirmed their plans to marry.

According to English-language K-entertainment site Soompi, a South Korean news outlet reported on July 8 that the couple will tie the knot in Seoul on Oct 11. Soon after, the stars’ agencies confirmed the news.

HyunA’s management agency told the media in a statement: “HyunA and Yong Jun-hyung, who have been a great source of comfort to each other during difficult times, have promised marriage (to each other). They will hold a wedding with close acquaintances in October and begin a new life.

“We thank everyone who always showed warm support and ask for many blessings for the future of HyunA, who has made a significant decision both as an artiste and as an individual.”

Yong’s agency similarly responded: “Yong Jun-hyung and HyunA, with deep affection and trust for each other, have decided to hold a wedding with close acquaintances this October.

“We would appreciate warm interest and blessings for Yong Jun-hyung as he embarks on a new chapter of his life as half of a married couple.”

No further details, such as the location nor wedding guests, have been revealed.

HyunA, whose real name is Kim Hyun-ah, was briefly a member of the girl group Wonder Girls before she joined another girl group, 4Minute, which debuted in 2009 and disbanded in 2016. She is a successful solo artiste, known for songs like Bubble Pop! (2011) and I’m Not Cool (2021).

In February 2022, she announced her engagement to K-pop star Dawn, a former member of the boy band Pentagon. The duo went public with their romance in 2018, reportedly without consulting their management agency at the time, Cube Entertainment.

They were later expelled from the agency, but continued their relationship, often posting on social media about each other.

But the pair announced their amicable split in November 2022, to the disappointment of their fans.

In January, HyunA went “Instagram-official” with Yong, a former member of the boy band Highlight – previously known as Beast. Both Yong and HyunA posted a photo of themselves holding hands on the beach and tagged each other in the photo, hinting at their relationship.

The news resulted in a backlash for them, in particular HyunA – whose fans disapprove of the relationship due to Yong’s past involvement in an illegal sex video scandal.

Yong announced his departure from Highlight in 2019, after he was swept up in the controversy surrounding disgraced South Korean singer Jung Joon-young, who filmed videos of women having sex with him without their consent and shared the footage with others.

At the time, Yong admitted to receiving an illegally filmed video from Jung and participating in “inappropriate conversations” about the video. He was investigated by the police, and eventually cleared of wrongdoing. He made his comeback to the entertainment industry with an EP titled Loner in 2022.

Jung was sentenced to five years in prison for his crimes and was released in March.

Under HyunA’s latest Instagram post – which is a photo of her bag decorated with charms and soft toys – angry and disappointed fans have left a flood of comments, with some calling her “crazy” and “a disappointment” and expressing disbelief that she would marry a “predator”.

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.