ATEEZ's San dating rumors puts spotlight on unauthorized photos of K-pop stars
ATEEZ' San, left, and ALLDAY PROJECT / Xportsnews, courtesy of THE BLACK LABEL
What began as a dating rumor involving ATEEZ's San has reignited concerns over the unauthorized photographing of K-pop stars, after images taken without permission spread online and fueled speculation about their private lives.
San became the subject of dating rumors after photos showing him walking alongside a woman in Milan circulated on online communities on Saturday.
His agency said the woman pictured with him was affiliated with a brand and that security personnel and managers were also present at the scene.
San personally denied the dating rumors while expressing frustration over people following and secretly photographing him during his overseas trip.
"I'm saying this because I don't want fans to worry," San said on a fan communication platform. "There are dating rumors going around, but they are absolutely not true."
The ATEEZ member said he had been surprised to find people following him wherever he went despite being in Milan for scheduled activities.
"It's nice when we happen to run into each other, but this isn't right," he said, criticizing the behavior of obsessive fans, commonly known in K-pop culture as "sasaengs."
He also took issue with being photographed without his knowledge.
"You shouldn't do that. Secretly taking photos is clearly wrong, too," he said. "Let's not commit crimes before getting caught."
ALLDAY PROJECT / Xportsnews
The controversy comes after members of coed K-pop group ALLDAY PROJECT also found candid photos of themselves circulating online without their consent.
The photos showed members of the group asleep aboard a KTX high-speed train, with their legs stretched out toward one another. The person who posted the images online said they had unexpectedly encountered the group on the train ride home.
"They were sleeping so soundly that I just watched them," the poster said.
The photos were reportedly taken without the members' permission and quickly attracted attention online.
ALLDAY PROJECT later addressed the images during a livestream, explaining that their exhaustion came as they were preparing for a comeback.
"We've been working really hard for our comeback while cutting back on sleep," Woochan said.
Annie said that was why they had fallen so deeply asleep, adding that Youngseo, who was not visible in the viral photos, was also sleeping in the row behind them.
The members also showed embarrassment over having such an unguarded moment captured and shared publicly.
"None of us were really in our right minds at the time," Woochan said.
Tarzzan said, "I don't even want to think about that photo," while Annie jokingly said that she and Tarzzan were the only ones who "didn't survive" the candid shot.
The incidents have prompted renewed discussion among K-pop fans about privacy and the increasingly blurred line between spotting a celebrity in public and turning an unguarded moment into viral content.
San's case also illustrates how a single unauthorized photograph can take on a life of its own once it reaches social media. Images of what his agency described as a work-related outing were quickly interpreted as possible evidence of a romantic relationship, forcing both the agency and the singer to respond.
For celebrities whose movements can be documented and shared online within minutes, seemingly casual photos can result in rumors, embarrassment and unwanted scrutiny — raising questions about whether fans should reach for their phones simply because a star happens to be nearby.
This article from Xportsnews was adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.