As dating rumors involving BTS’s Jungkook and aespa’s Winter continue to gain traction, Jungkook’s past remarks about his tattoos have resurfaced and are once again becoming a hot topic. With fans pointing out similarities between the two idols’ tattoos and personal items fueling speculation about so-called “couple tattoos” Jungkook’s words from a previous live broadcast are being reexamined under a new light.
The controversy began when fans noticed that Jungkook and Winter appeared to have nearly identical tattoos of three puppies, placed in the same location above the elbow. This observation quickly escalated as netizens began compiling a list of overlapping items frequently spotted on both idols, including in-ear monitors, slippers, shorts, and even nail designs.
Speculation intensified further with claims that Jungkook’s Instagram username “mnijungkook” was inspired by Winter’s real name, Minjeong, as well as clips in which Winter allegedly slipped and said “Jeon Jungkook” on air. Additional eyewitness accounts claimed Jungkook was seen attending an aespa concert during his vacation, adding fuel to the rumors.
Amid this growing debate, Jungkook’s comments from a Weverse Live broadcast in March 2023 have resurfaced. At the time, Jungkook openly discussed the meaning behind his many tattoos. When fans asked whether he ever considered removing them, he replied, “I don’t really think about removing them,” adding, “They were things I wanted at that moment. Erasing them would mean denying my past self.” He also admitted, “Do I regret some of them? Sure. But what can I do? It’s already in the past. Regretting the past is the most pointless thing.” These words are now being widely shared again as fans connect them to the current couple tattoo allegations.
Meanwhile, both HYBE and SM Entertainment have maintained a “no confirmation” stance regarding the dating rumors, neither confirming nor denying them. This silence stands in contrast to previous situations, such as Jungkook’s past dating rumors with Lee Yoo Bi or Winter’s earlier rumors involving ENHYPEN’s Jungwon, which were quickly dismissed as false. The lack of a clear response has only deepened fans’ suspicions and divided public opinion.
The situation has since escalated beyond online debate. On December 10, Jungkook’s fans reportedly sent protest trucks to HYBE’s headquarters, displaying messages such as, “If you won’t remove the couple tattoos, step away from BTS activities,” and “Stop deceiving fans.” The following day, similar protest trucks appeared outside SM Entertainment, targeting Winter with slogans like, “If you want to date publicly, live as Kim Minjeong, not aespa’s Winter,” and “Remove the tattoos and explain.”
With agencies remaining silent and fandom conflicts intensifying including real-world protest actions the dating rumors surrounding Jungkook and Winter show no signs of dying down anytime soon.
Sources: naver