Kim Hyun Joong has been doing a lot of talking about dating lately but he's not giving up any names. Nor is he likely to.

In a recent interview with Newsen, he confessed that he has dated in secret and he would never go public with a relationship.

"If I say I don't date, that would be a lie. I dated in secret a year ago, but I am not dating currently," said the singer and "Inspiring Generation" star.

If he really cared for someone he would not want to expose that person to media scrutiny or tarnish her reputation in any way.

"I noticed that when people date publicly and breakup, it's usually the woman who suffers for it," he said. "I don't think there's any need for a woman who may later marry someone else to have the title of my woman following them. If I'm not going to marry that person, I will never go public with the relationship out of respect for that person's life."

But the older he gets the more he thinks that marriage may not be an option for him. At 27, he still has to fulfill his military duty and has plans for his career.

"If I do everything I want to, I will be over 35 years old," he said. "In the past I thought I really will get married but now I don't have the confidence that it would work. I love work so much I'm not sure I will be able to put my family first. If a conflict comes up with a drama, singing or a concert, then I will probably choose that."

Well, at least he's honest.

He said that the longest he ever dated a girl was for three years and she was a non-celebrity. He has denied the rumors that he was dating After School singer and actress Uee, who he met when they appeared on "Barefooted Friends."

"It's not true at all," he said. "We were close during the filming, but I am not dating Uee like the rumors suggest."

His ideas about dating have changed in the last few years. He does not want a dramatic relationship, just a person to share daily life with.

"I think an impulsive relationship based on passion and or possessive one is not that great," he said. "A normal dating relationship is best. Rather than buying flowers and doing surprise events, it's better to just eat together and hold hands. I didn't realize how good such normal and ordinary things were when I was younger but I realize that now."

But given how much he likes sharing a day's ordinary events, he may yet change his mind about marriage.