This is the cutest K-ent dating rumor ever, too bad it’s likely not true. Fans of currently airing MBC drama Angry Mom had a bit of fun waking up Friday morning to news that Kim Yoo Jung may be dating her costar Baro after the two were snapped attending a soccer game. Sadly the excitement about budding young love was splashed with the cold water of reality when both sides immediately shot down the dating rumors and explained they were merely attending a game in a group that included other friends. I personally don’t see how being out with other friends refutes that two people within the group could be dating. Kim Yoo Jung explained that she invited other AM costars to watch the game but only Baro could go, and later they were joined by fellow teen actress Seo Shin Ae. Oh wells, Baro and Kim Yoo Jung would have made a supremely adorable couple.
I think it’s creepy not adorable if they realy are dating, Ms. Koala… because she’s still a minor and baro is 23 or 24 years old..
I think everyone is forgetting Yoo Jung is a minor and Baro is like 24. I honestly find that really gross.
Pretty sure Baro is only like 22 but still, he’s much older than her. Obviously, they’re just hanging out as friends or they wouldn’t have been out and about so casually. It’s stupid of the media to try and make something out of this.
They would have made a highly disturbing couple, as she is a minor and he an adult. I am all for age gap romances between consenting adults, but we should all draw the line at pedophilia. Even if South Korea seems to have one messed up age of consent system.
not pedophilia please stop referring to every questionable relationship with a large age gap as pedophilia. yes this would have been very weird/icky if it was true but it is not pedophilia. don’t use words with such a strong meaning so lightly.
She is 15. A kid, a minor. It’s not about age difference,it’s about her being clearly underage.
My term was inaccurate and unfair (I was quite shocked and still am). I’ve often been angry at people calling (adult) age gap pairings “pedophilia” myself, so I understand your issue. You were right to call me out on that. However, that does not make the ease with which many find such potential pairings adorable in dramas and especially real life any less problematic.
The kids are probably friends or maybe even interested in each other. It happens in those ages and for them, it would feel normal. I’m not making Baro into a would-be fiend here. As adults, however, we do need to be more careful about such delicate matters and how we approach them.
Seeing this style of a post from an otherwise quite reasonable, highly educated and very much adult blogger is kind of a biggie for me as a reader. So I expressed it.
@sour grapes you totally disregarded the whole sentiment of my comment and what i was trying to get across. doesn’t matter if she is underage it has nothing to do with pedophilia and the misuse of the term. i also outright said that any romantic relationship between the two would have been highly questionable but i guess you chose to ignore that part.
@orion i get it. i’m sorry for being so blunt because i do see where you’re coming from and 100% agree. i was shocked too when i read this article. its just the term pedophilia is misused so often and i understand when having intense feelings about something we’re prone to using extreme language. i guess its hard to be careful at times.
Isn’t she 15? A guy in his 20’s being interested in a 15 year old is kinda disturbing.
Ummmm…isn’t she like 15?
yeah, she’s a September ’99 baby. 17 by Korean age rules but even in Korea, she’s still years away from being an adult.
I am surprised that you find it cute when in most sites, people agree that’s kind of creepy as dating rumors because Kim Yoo Jung is basically 17 and Baro 24. It’s not about the age difference because Jung Kyung Ho and Sooyoung also share 7 years of difference but they have begun to date when she was 23 and him 30 so it’s all right whereas in this situation, she is still a minor so yeap’, it’s kind of awkward to me.
Please don’t misunderstood, all of us have experience liking a person at early age, these two are no exception. Let them enjoy the stage of growing up. They too deserve to be happy. Keep going guys!
I totally agree with you on this. Wish more people would think this way.
I agree too. I think it would pretty sweet if they were dating and I really hope their friendship won’t be ruined because of the rumors and other people.
er, koala, do you not know that she’s 15 years old? It would NOT be cute if she was dating a 23 year old (his age), it’s disturbing to even suggest that.
Calm down people! They just spending time together as FRIEND. I guess in this universe celebs can’t spend their free time to hang out with different gender because everyone will start thinking they’re dating, or with so much age gap because people will say they’re pedophile. How sad..
If she’s 15 then its nothing to cheer on, definitely!! I also wish kdramaland would stop casting guys 23-30 as students with very young girls. That’s also disturbing.
To be fair, a lot of girls who play high school students in korean dramas aren’t 15, usually a few years (or more) older. And the onscreen pairing works because he has a baby face.
I almost did a double take when I first read the comments- baro is 24?! isn’t he my age (22)? It hasn’t been that long since my teens… until I remembered we’re speaking in terms of korean age. Nevertheless, there is still a 7 year difference.
funny. shipping an ajuhuma who have husband and a daughter with high schooler is cute but 24yo guy with 16yo girls is creepy. not that I ship them. but such double standart.
No, shipping a woman in her thirties with a high school kid is just as creepy,if not worse (she is old enough to be his mom). Those who do ship them probably won’t see a problem with Baro-Yoojung relationship either.
Sour grapes, actually people ARE shipping the mom with the high school kid, but I think they would have a problem with Baro and Kim Yoo Jung, because Kim Yoo Jung is not a hot hunk who looks older than his age (cf. Bok Dong or Yeo Jin-Gu).
All of it is morally questionable. I also don’t really think it’s cute.
Aren’t teenagers allowed to date in South Korea? So it won’t be an issue if she’s dating someone in her own age group? Even if they’re really dating, I would suggest that the relationship be closely supervised than outright condemning it because of the age difference.
And btw, I’m actually more happy to know that they are taking time out to relax and enjoy themselves than the dating rumours.
Yeah, not finding it cute coz she’s underage and he’s not. But it really seems that it was just an older/younger sibling or friends outing, besides she’s a minor and he an idol, hence it would be on the stupid end if they’re really dating and so publicly at that.
A bit off topic, I really think Yoo Jung would have a bit of Moon Geun Young issue. Basing on the comments (just like MGY before), knetz are really protective of her, even referring to her as a baby. Double edge sword, being korea’s daughter vs difficulty in transitioning to adult roles.
This is not cute at all, to be suggesting that a 15 year old girl must be dating her 8 years older costar. I wish you would consider ypur words first, koala.
and for people saying there is a double standard to condemn real life dating rumours between an underage girl and adult while people ship the fictional Mom and high school kid Bok Dong……can’t you tell the difference between fiction and real life? Also Kang Ja in Angry Mom has no interest in BD that way, it’s purely a one sided crush on his part. Shipping is not going to happen in the story itself, not between an ajumma and a high school kid.
who said baro have romantic feeling to KYJ? and YET others called him creppy.
what I mean, its so funny. when older women have romance with young man. many people suport them. but when the man is older its pedo. sigh.
and they’re just a friends.
Tsk….tsk…It’s kinda sad that the celebrities in SK can’t enjoy themselves in harmless outing and fun such as this openly without scandals hounding them. Makes me think they’re more prone to temptations because they tend to go to private places far from pring eyes.
*prying
Nope. Nope. Too creepy.
Well if she’s older it would be cute. It will be like suzy-lee minho 7 year age gap. but since she’s still a minor so yeah it would be creepy if they’re dating. lol. but it’s pretty obvious that they just have a cute close oppa-dongsaeng relationship. They’ve known each other since like back in 2012 so it’s no surprise that they’re close. haha. But dang at reporters always trying to start up rumors. Can’t people just hang out as friends?
& those people from other sites who are screaming ‘Pedophile’, they should totally study the term before using it. The term Pedophile is used adults who have a psychiatric disorder who experiences sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Prepubescent being 11 years and younger. Which is totally not a valid term to use in this context if they were dating because Yoojung is a teenager and certainly not a prepubescent child. It’s not pedophilia. It’s just illegal…for now. lol
Take a chill pill, people! Hahaha. It’s totally not cool to go around bursting other people’s bubble. Shipping is a matter of preference, it’s fun and harmless but people and their judgemental views are the only ones that mud the water. Remember, ship what rocks your boat! Don’t ruin the party of those who enjoy the sailing.
I totally agree with you
I’m not happy but not for this story, it seems a little bit ridiculous for me but for their story in Angry Mom. I wanted Ah Ran with Bok Dong, his character is more interessant (and cute) than Baro’s.
I am delighted that the vast majority of responses to this have been on what I consider the sane side – expressing disgust at the idea, due to the fact that SHE’S FIFTEEN. And don’t give me that whole “she’s 17” BS, let’s keep it simple and stick to the fact that Earth has not completed 16 solar orbits since she entered this world. Ain’t nothing cute about this pairing.
They are not dating, but spending time together with other folks around.
There was more to the picture and to the photo showing they weren’t alone but at the end of a row of people they were sitting with – I can’t find it anywhere now. I hate when that happens…
Am I the only one who thinks that they’re gonna make a cute couple if the rumors happen to be true ?! Well of course if you don’t want to be judged by public opinion, wait until you graduate from high school to make an announcement to public. I love their chemistry on screen, they are my reason to keep watching angry mom he he. And also, kids these days growing up so fast.
You’re not the only one. I like this pairing very much, I would be so glad if they are together.
I join the shipper!
What is the legal age to date in S Korea? In the States, it’s not unusual for teenagers to start dating in High school. My friend who went to MIT for undergrad and PhD married his high school sweetheart. I saw their lovey-dovey prom pics in which they looked completely like kids. High school romance progressing into marriage was even more common in the old days back in 50s or 60s. Isn’t 15 years old the age for high school sophomore? So if it’s not a problem for high school romance, what’s wrong with a high school girl dating a young adult? People are ok with extra marital sexual relationship (I mean living together before marriage) or even two timers. Why would this dating relationship pose any huge issue? I’m not liberal. I’m just questioning people’s logic here with dubious standards. If high school romance is permissible in people’s moral standards, what’s wrong with a younger girl dating an older guy? Dating is dating after all. Dating couples will mostly do what a dating couple will do regardless of age – it doesn’t matter it’s a teenager dating another teenager or a teenager dating a young adult. I found it’s very pathetic to label a relationship like the latter one “pedophilia”. Comments like that are going overboard.
Koala, nothing wrong with your post. They’re cute together in the drama and why can’t they be cute together off screen? I don’t find age gap is an issue even one party is teenaged. The bigger concern is what they do when they date before marriage. In this regards, Sorry to say if I offend some liberal here that I’m very conservative. I’m not so much shipping sexual relationship outside marriage regardless of age. That’s the point I think really matters.
Yes, couldn’t agree more with your opinion. I’m also a conservative people. Start dating in young age is no problem, just don’t get overboard and cross the line.