K-pop star Park Bom of the girl group 2NE1 reignited controversy when her claim that she is dating actor Lee Min-ho was denied yet again by reps for the actor.
The dating rumors were confirmed by Park Bom herself on February 19 on her second social media account.
"Hello, everyone. I'm working hard. All of the [dating rumors with Lee Min-ho] are true, so I wrote it," she wrote while posting a photo of herself.
She later wrote, "When I come back ill work with 2NE1. Thank you for your interest."
Park Bom made this announcement after calling Lee Min-ho her "husband" on several occasions.
On February 15, she posted a picture of her face next to that of Lee Min-ho with the caption, "My husband. For real."
When a fan questioned the honesty of her statement, Park Bom simply answered, "Yes."
However, only a day later, Park Bom's alleged social media accounts were removed, leaving fans and netizens puzzled.
It is the third time during the drawn-out saga that one of her accounts has been taken down.
They have been consistently denying any possibility of romance with Park Bom on Lee Min-ho's side.
An actor's rep reached out to set the record straight, telling the Korean media that these "rumors" of dating are "categorically false" and that the two don't even know each other.
Fans and netizens have had various responses to the controversy.
Park Bom has been criticized for mentioning Lee Min-ho too many times, which could make him feel awkward.
Some are worried that such rumors could affect Lee Min-ho in both his personal life and at work.
On the other hand, Park Bom's agency has cautiously responded.
The agency's CEO told media outlet OSEN that social media is viewed as the artist's personal space and that Park Bom is a long-time fan of Lee Min-ho.
This isn't the first time Park Bom has expressed her admiration for Lee Min-ho. In September of last year, she shared a photo of Lee Min-ho on her social media with the striking caption, "My true husband♥."
Although this led to dating rumors when she called Lee Min-ho her 'husband,' it was later clarified that she made the post as a fan, resulting in what was termed a 'self-dating rumor.'
