Korean football striker, T-ARA member in romantic relationship

Hwang Ui-jo, left, and Hyomin / Capture from Instagram

By Ko Dong-hwan

National footballer Hwang Ui-jo and long-time K-pop star Hyomin signed up as the first high-profile celebrity couple to break in the New Year in Korea.

Paparazzi photos released Jan. 3 by Korean entertainment news outlet Dispatch showed the striker from France's Ligue 1 club Bordeaux and main rapper from T-ARA standing together in front of a luxurious hotel in Basel, Switzerland, last month. Each carrying a black travel carrier, the couple were seemingly talking to each other through their masks.

They met during the French football league's brief break from late December until Jan. 6, according to the outlet.

Other photos from Hwang's Instagram also showed shots of the 30-year-old athlete travelling on the Jungfrau railway in the Swiss Alps and other parts of Basel. The photos, dated the last week of December, hinted they were dating.

Reports said Hwang and Hyomin, 33, have been long-distance dating for about three months. While Hwang was booming in the league being ranked sixth in scoring with 16 goals in 2021, Hyomin was promoting the four-piece girl band's new album “Re:T-ARA” last November with double title songs “ALL KILL” and “TIKI TAKA.”

Friends of Hwang and Hyomin told Dispatch they were just starting to get to know each other, while respecting each other's profession.

Debuting with Seongnam FC from Korea's K League in 2013 and moving to Bordeaux in 2019 following Gamba Osaka of Japan's J League, Hwang is expected to play in the Qatar World Cup this year. Hyomin, rose to stardom with the band's debut in 2009, and has since expanded her talents to acting and being a YouTube influencer.