Lee Joo-yeon, once linked to G-Dragon, says 'love comes first now'

Lee Joo-yeon, an actress formerly of After School, has candidly shared her views on romance, stating, "I want to love now."

Attention is being drawn to her as she directly revealed her current feelings on a broadcast, having once been swept up in multiple dating rumors with BigBang's G-Dragon.

On the upcoming episode of SBS's "Running Man," scheduled to air on the 16th at 6 PM, Lee will appear as a guest alongside Eunji and Kang Ye-won. The three will participate in the "Beat the Heat Vacation" race, searching for unique summer getaways to escape the record-breaking heatwave.

During a recent recording, Lee made unexpectedly honest remarks regarding her views on romance.

She confessed, "Originally, work came before love, but now love comes before work. I want to love," implying that after a life focused heavily on her career, she now wants to open her heart to love and connections.

As soon as Lee made her statement, the "Running Man" members immediately jumped into creating love lines. Mentioning Yang Se-chan, the members asked, "How about Yang Se-chan?" and a subtle psychological battle unfolded between Lee and Yang due to the sudden question.

Lee waved her hands in dismissal, retorting, "I heard about Yang Se-chan's past idol girlfriend," to which Yang responded, "I also know the people you've dated."

The conversation between the two quickly escalated into an exposé of past romantic histories, turning the set into a sea of laughter.

In particular, Lee is a figure who has garnered public attention several times due to dating rumors with G-Dragon. The two were swept up in multiple dating rumors in the past as they were seen together online.

However, regarding the dating rumors that surfaced last year, G-Dragon's side officially drew a line, stating, "The dating rumors between G-Dragon and Lee Joo-yeon, which have been continuously raised recently, are not true."

As such, Lee's recent comment, "I want to love now," can be seen as an honest expression of her current romantic views, separate from the past rumors.

Born in 1987 and turning 39 this year, Lee debuted in the entertainment industry as a member of the girl group After School before expanding her career into acting. Even after shifting her focus from the stage to acting, she has steadily built her own territory by moving between various works and broadcasts.

In this episode of "Running Man," she will not only discuss romance but also experience unique summer getaways to escape the extreme heat.

The members will visit various vacation spots, ranging from cool caves to valleys and even horror experiences. In particular, expectations are high as a space that had remained closed for a whopping 114 years is set to be revealed on television for the first time.

However, the vacation was not free. A unique rule was applied to this race where the members had to split the costs incurred during their vacation through a "Loyalty Game."

At first, everyone emphasized loyalty, saying they would split the costs fairly, but the atmosphere changed once the moment of payment arrived. A battle of wits and betrayals ensued as they tried to pass the costs onto one another, and it is reported that the final person ended up burdened with a large sum of money.

Along with the laughter-filled race taking place at a vacation spot to escape the heatwave, attention is focused on what kind of reaction Lee's honest views on love will provoke.