Lee Jooyeon Says She Went on Many Dates During Her After School Days

Lee Jooyeon's Han River confession

Lee Jooyeon, a former member of After School who now works as an actress, has said she went on many dates during her time as an idol. The remarks were made in a YouTube video titled “A Small but Special Han River Picnic, Want to Join?” released on 12 October, as first reported by Koreaboo.

Asked whether she had visited the Han River often during her idol days, she replied that she had been there a lot and that she had gone on many dates. She explained that there weren’t many places to go at the time, making the river a popular destination. Her comments are notable because dating is a subject that idols and their agencies have historically treated with caution, and candid reflections on it are relatively rare.

Rice burgers, marriage jokes and a clumsy cooking session

In the video, Lee Jooyeon attempted to make rice burgers using ingredients her mother had prepared in advance. She showed some inexperience in the kitchen, including using a bread knife to slice pickled radish. When the production team asked if she had a signature dish, she said she was gradually figuring it out. She added that she wanted to challenge herself with tougher recipes.

She also joked about marriage, saying that if she could cook really well, maybe she could get married. When the team pointed out that she wasn’t washing the fruit, she quipped that she couldn’t look foolish because she needed to get married. The exchange was light-hearted, but it framed cooking as part of a broader wish for a settled personal life — a theme that echoed later when she discussed her idol days.

Why the Han River was a go-to for idol dates

Her explanation that there weren’t many places to go offers a small window into the practical constraints idols faced, particularly in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Trainee and idol life often involves dormitories, shared schedules and constant supervision, leaving few opportunities for private meetings away from the eyes of managers, fans and media.

The Han River, with its long riverside paths and stretches where people can blend in, became a reliable option for those trying to spend time together without drawing attention. Lee Jooyeon’s remark that she went there a lot suggests this was a shared experience among her peers rather than an isolated one. It is a detail that helps explain why the river recurs in idol lore as a backdrop for secret dates.

From After School to acting: a career in two acts

Lee Jooyeon debuted in 2009 as a member of After School, a group known for its rotating lineup and ambitious concepts. In the years since, she has built a career as an actress, moving from the idol stage to scripted roles. That transition is common in the K-pop industry, but it also changes how performers are perceived and what kinds of public appearances they make.

As an actress, Lee Jooyeon now appears in formats that present a more relaxed, personal side, including YouTube content like the picnic video. The setting allows for the kind of casual reminiscence that would be less likely in a formal interview. It is also a reminder that for many second-generation idols, the years since their debut have brought both professional diversification and a different relationship with the public.

Dating rumours and the scrutiny that follows

The source notes that Lee Jooyeon previously became the subject of multiple dating rumours involving BIGBANG’s G-Dragon. Such rumours are a familiar part of idol life, and they illustrate how intensely fans and media can follow the private lives of performers. It is important to stress that rumours are not confirmed relationships, and Lee Jooyeon’s current comments do not revisit those specific reports.

Her willingness to speak generally about dating during her idol days stands out precisely because the topic has often been treated as sensitive. The industry’s approach has typically been to avoid confirming relationships, partly to protect performers from scrutiny and partly to maintain a certain image. Against that backdrop, a casual mention on a YouTube video carries a different weight: it is not a formal disclosure, but it is more than the usual silence.

Moving freely and fading recognition

Lee Jooyeon also said that she no longer pays much attention to public eyes and moves around freely, adding that not many people recognise her these days. That shift — from being closely watched as an idol to enjoying a quieter level of public attention — is a recurring theme for performers who move into acting or other fields.

It suggests that the intense scrutiny of idol life can ease over time, even if the memories of navigating that period remain vivid. Her Han River anecdote is one such memory, offered without apparent bitterness. The contrast between then and now is part of what makes her remarks interesting: she is describing a past version of herself who had to plan around visibility, and a present version who does not.

What her comments reveal about idol culture

Lee Jooyeon’s remarks are a reminder that idol dating has long existed beneath the surface of the industry’s carefully managed public image. The scarcity of private spaces, the reliance on places like the Han River, and the caution around being seen all shaped how young performers conducted their personal lives. Her decision to speak about it now, in a casual setting, feels like a small but meaningful moment of candour.

It does not resolve the debate over whether idols should be more open about dating, but it provides a human detail from someone who lived through it. For readers, the story raises a question about how much privacy idols should be expected to sacrifice. Lee Jooyeon’s experience suggests that the calculation was not simple: there were few options then, and the consequences of being spotted could be significant. Her later reflections on marriage and cooking are lighter, but they sit alongside that earlier reality.

The video, as reported by Koreaboo, gives a glimpse of an idol-turned-actress looking back without evident bitterness, but also without pretending that the constraints weren’t there. Her candour about the Han River dates is a small piece of a much larger conversation about how the K-pop industry balances the private lives of its performers with public expectations.