"I’d rather not go into personal matters"- Lee Jae-wook addresses how aespa’s Karina dating news impacted Dear Hongrang filming

Lee Jae-wook publicly addressed his past rumors and relationship involving aespa member Karina during the Dear Hongran press conference. On May 19, 2025, Lee Jae-wook held a press conference discussing his recent Netflix series, titled Dear Hongran, starring Jo Bo-ah.

During the press conference, he was asked about the dating confirmation with aespa's Karina back in 2024. Notably, he and Karina confirmed their relationship on February 27, 2025.

The couple received hateful comments from anti-fans due to their relationship. However, on April 2, 2025, they confirmed their breakup through their agency.

While his relationship became public, the South Korean actor was filming his drama Dear Hongran. During the press conference, he was asked whether he faced any difficulties due to the sudden revelation of his relationship with the SM girl group member.

According to Kbizoom, the actor addressed his dating period with Karina, urging the press to focus on the drama.

He said,

“The dating revelation didn’t affect my focus on the project. I’d rather not go into personal matters. I hope we can focus on the character and the story of Dear Hongrang.”

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Why did Lee Jae-wook join Fresh Off the Sea 2 as a regular cast? Dear Hongrang star reveals reason behind appearance

Lee Jae-wook is currently starring as the regular on tvN's variety show named Fresh Off the Sea 2. In this show, he spends a few days in a coastal village working as a seaside worker.

Besides collecting seafood, their goal is to create delicious cuisine. He joins the main hosts, Yeom Jung-ha and Park Joo-myeon, along with The Tale of Lady Ok star Lim Ji-yeon.

In his press conference for his latest drama, Dear Hongrang, he also revealed the reason behind him joining the tvN variety show.

He wanted to showcase an easily understandable and entertaining side to his mother before he joined the military.

He said,

"The work I do has a lot of blood and action, and the development is fast. My mother said she had to watch it 4-5 times to understand it. I wanted to do something comfortable that my mother could watch before going to the military, but I didn't think about entertainment until I got the offer, so I did it without hesitation.”

He also opened up about his struggles as the youngest among the other female cast. He wished to show a stronger image and at times went overboard with the work.

However, the female cast appreciated his efforts.

He added,

"I felt burdened as the youngest. I wanted to look strong, so there were times when I overdid it. Even when I threw up, my sisters were working, so I had to get up, and I forced myself to do it because of my condition. But my sisters liked this side of me. I'm grateful.”

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Lee Jae-wook's recent shows

Lee Jae-wook and Jo Bo-ah recently made news for his Netflix drama Dear Hongrang, which aired on May 16, 2025. The drama tells the mysterious tale of the youngest son, Hongrang, of a wealthy family in the Joseon Era.

Hongrang went missing at the age of eight. His half-sister Jae-yi, played by Jo Bo-ah, does her best in search of her brother but fails to find him.

However, 12 years later a man claiming to be Jae-yi's brother, Hongrang (depicted by Lee Jae-wook), turns up at their house. It was difficult for their mother to accept that the man was Hongrang, but Jae-yi wished to believe it was him.

Jae-yi goes on a mission to find the truth about him while also her missing brother.

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Notably, fans may catch up with Dear Hongrang on Netflix. On the other hand, Lee Jae-wook is also a part of the cast of Fresh off the Sea Season 2, which airs every Sunday at 7:40 pm KST on tvN.