Jennie's New MV Features Taiwanese Model Kai, Sparks Buzz Over Shared Name with Ex-Boyfriend

Jennie, a member of the popular K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, released two videos on her official social media channels on July 23. The clips are believed to be behind-the-scenes footage from her upcoming music video for “Less Than A Lover,” showing Jennie sitting beside Kai, the mysterious male lead from a previous teaser. As they watch the sunset over the ocean, a romantic atmosphere is instantly created.

In one scene, Jennie is seen peeling an orange and feeding it to Kai, who naturally accepts and eats it. Their sweet and natural interaction, reminiscent of a couple in love, led many fans to exclaim, “Their chemistry is too strong!”

A subsequent TikTok video showed even more intimate interactions. Jennie and Kai stood on a vintage sailboat floating on the azure sea, with Kai embracing Jennie from behind as she leaned into his arms. They faced the camera against the sea breeze, creating a cinematic visual that once again sparked heated discussions among netizens.

Jennie had previously dropped a “bombshell” on July 18, posting a polaroid photo on her social media. In the picture, she intimately rested her head on the shoulder of a man in a blue shirt, both smiling at the camera. However, she used a heart sticker to cover the man’s face and provided no explanation, immediately making the mysterious man’s identity a focal point of fan speculation, with some even exclaiming, “Could it be a relationship reveal?”

It was only recently confirmed by Jennie's agency that the man is Kai, a model from Taiwan currently active in Korea. However, what truly ignited discussion was not his identity, but his name.

The name “Kai” coincidentally matches that of Jennie’s former boyfriend, EXO member Kim Jong-in (김종인), who also goes by Kai. This instantly brought back memories for many fans. Jennie publicly confirmed her relationship with Kim in 2019, and although the romance ended shortly after, the “JENKAI” couple still has many supporters. Consequently, many netizens found the name of the MV’s male lead particularly intriguing.

Some netizens even created analysis videos, suggesting that Jennie’s new song, from its main visual color palette and styling to the male lead’s name, might contain “Easter eggs” referencing her past relationship. These speculations continue to spread across social media. However, all of this remains netizen speculation, as Jennie herself and her agency have not yet responded.

Meanwhile, Kai, who has garnered significant attention for appearing in Jennie’s new MV, is 23 years old, born in Taiwan in 2002, and is currently pursuing a modeling career in Korea. He previously shared his journey of moving to Korea to pursue his dreams in an interview with Korean fashion media outlet eyesmag.

Kai revealed that he was born in Taiwan and later moved to Korea to develop his modeling career, often interacting with fans in English and Korean. When discussing his appearance, he laughed, saying he is often compared to other celebrities. While many believe he resembles RIIZE member Wonbin (원빈), he personally doesn't see the resemblance, noting he is more frequently told he looks like Japanese actor Kento Yamazaki, a comparison even the interviewer at the time agreed with.