Is Jennie's New MV Co-Star a Taiwanese Model? Kaohsiung's Kai Gains Buzz After One Year in Korea

BLACKPINK member Jennie will release her new single, "Less than a Lover," on July 24 (Friday) at 1 PM KST (12 PM Taiwan time). As teaser posters have been unveiled, the mysterious male lead—seen gazing at Jennie in a blue pickup truck and running hand-in-hand with her in a field—has immediately captured the attention of netizens in both Korea and Taiwan. He is widely speculated to be 23-year-old Taiwanese model NAH (Kai), originally from Kaohsiung, who moved to Korea to pursue his career just last year. Although there has been no official confirmation, Taiwanese netizens are already thrilled, with comments like, "Oh my god! He landed a huge project!"

Who is the boy leaning on Jennie's shoulder? A public identification effort

This "public identification" began on July 19, when Jennie posted a polaroid on her Instagram Stories. In the photo, she was leaning on a man's shoulder, his face obscured by a heart sticker, leading fans to initially wonder if it was a "relationship announcement" or a teaser for new work. After the official teaser poster was released the next day, comparison posts quickly appeared on the Korean forum theqoo. Based on his physique, hairstyle, and past work, netizens highly speculated that he is Taiwanese model NAH (晉愷; Jin Kai), born in 2002, often known as Kai in the industry. He has modeled for Korean brand LOW CLASSIC and is frequently active in Korea. A "decisive clue" was photographer Kim Hee-june (김희준), a member of ODD ATELIER, starting to follow his Instagram (@dornweirb). However, it must be emphasized that neither Jennie herself, her label, nor the MV production team has officially announced the male lead's identity. Everything will be revealed when the full MV is released on July 24.

According to Taiwanese media reports, Kai hails from Kaohsiung. In July 2023, he was scouted after a photo of him skateboarding went viral, leading to a contract with Korean agency GRANbrew. In just one year in Korea, his achievements have been remarkable: he gained popularity late last year with a viral dance video on a frozen river, then appeared in the cinematic MV for "Blue" by SEVENTEEN members DK (도겸) and Seungkwan's (승관) sub-unit DxS earlier this year, acting alongside Squid Game actress Lee Yoo-mi (이유미). In March, he was featured on a large billboard in Seoul's Seongsu-dong (성수동) area, attracting many Taiwanese netizens who traveled there to take photos and show support. He also landed the LOW CLASSIC 2024 Spring campaign. Now, being identified as the male lead in Jennie's new MV has quickly made him "the most envied man by fans."

Korean Netizen Reactions: "He matches Jennie so well"

In the identification discussion thread on theqoo, Korean netizens overwhelmingly praised the "mysterious Taiwanese model":

• "He matches Jennie so well."
• "I really like that clean and refreshing vibe."
• "He's Taiwanese? I thought he was Japanese, sorry."
• "I saw his huge ad in Seongsu before. He's very handsome, but I couldn't find any information about him and thought he was a Japanese model."
• "He looks like a model, but also like an anime character."

"Less than a Lover": Jennie's Self-Directed and Self-Written Summer Story

"Less than a Lover" is Jennie's new single released under her self-established label ODD ATELIER. It marks her first solo song in over a year since her first full-length album, Ruby, in March 2024. Jennie personally wrote and composed the song and also directed the music video for the first time. The words "Directed by JENNIE / Written by JENNIE / Music by JENNIE" on the teaser posters are particularly striking. The music features a lo-fi sound with guitar and vintage electronic keyboard elements. The song had already premiered at European and American music festivals such as Governors Ball and Roskilde before its official release, leaving fans eagerly anticipating it for a long time. The poster's subtitle reads: "The summer I chose to pause the love story."

An interesting side note is that the male lead's identified stage name, "Kai," happens to be the same as EXO member KAI (카이), Jennie's former publicly known boyfriend. Taiwanese and Korean media have capitalized on this "name clash with an ex," making the MV a hot topic even before its release. For Taiwanese netizens, there's an added sense of pride. From the large billboard in Seongsu-dong to (allegedly) being the male lead in Jennie's MV, Kai once said in an interview, "When I told my parents and friends that I was more famous in Korea than in Taiwan, they all thought it was amazing!" The mystery will be unveiled on Friday noon, confirming whether the Kaohsiung-born model is indeed the one leaning on Jennie's shoulder.