South Korea's "Big 3" entertainment agencies - SM, YG and JYP - set different rules when it comes to dating.
K-pop idols' dating life is not like like the typical setup we see. Given that they are public figures, they make sure that they maintain a good reputation towards their fans, and that includes not having a romantic relationship. This is why dating becomes a huge controversy, and most of the time put in a bad light, even though they are old enough to date.
While labels should protect the best interest of their artists, their have rules on dating to follow and it's different, depends which agency they are under. See the differences of dating rules between SM, YG, and JYP.
JYP Entertainment
Park Jin Young has been known for imposing a dating rule among artists that says one should not date in the first three years of their careers, which was originally a five-year rule. Therefore, when TWICE's Jihyo was caught up in a dating rumor with another idol, Kang Daniel, it was both confirmed by agencies as the female artist had passed the dating ban timeframe.
Other than that, JYP also sets different standards among talents as Baek Ah Yeon, a soloist, revealed that instead of a dating bad, she was even encouraged to meet someone to gain experiences that will add to her inspirations to singing and songwriting.
YG Entertainment
YG is the home of several of the finest K-pop artists to date, such as BLACKPINK, iKON, Big Bang, and many more. BLACKPINK members revealed that rookie idols are banned from dating. Former 2NE1's Sandara Park once said in an interview that she decided not to get involved into romantic relationships as she was under contract and her boss prohibited her. Former iKON's Hanbin also said that it was like an idol should earn much money rather than setting a timeframe to be allowed to date.
SM Entertainment
Amongst the three, SMEnt. is considered the least stern when it comes to their idols dating. Actress Lee Yeon Hee said during her appearance on Radio Star that SM doesn't have issues whether their idols date or not. For instance, EXO's Chen was neither scolded nor expelled from his band when he revealed that he is getting married and expecting a baby. SM Entertainment even made confirmations about it, respecting the EXO members' wish to promote as 9.
Regardless of dating bans or not having it, it wouldn't be surprising if idols, who are mostly surrounded by different engagements, will find mutual attractions with their fellow entertainers or outside the K-pop realm. Nevertheless, some chose to let it go for career reasons or keep it under wraps to not allow complications from media and fans who are not into the idea of seeing their idols in a romantic relationship.
