Lee Mijoo, who is believed to be caught on camera having drinks with the 'Euphoria' singer, says that she's 'absolutely not in a relationship with Jungkook' and that they 'are simply close friends.'
- Sep 18, 2019
AceShowbiz - A tattoo artist, who was caught up in dating speculation with BTS' (Bangtan Boys) Jungkook, has spoken up regarding the rumors. Taking to her Instagram page to address the swirling reports, Lee Mijoo claimed that she and the K-Pop idol's relationship is purely platonic.
"I am absolutely not in a relationship with Jungkook," she posted hours after the news broke on Tuesday, September 17 along with a photo of triple "x" tattoo on a woman's arm. She blamed some impostors for spreading the false rumors, writing, "I am posting this because of the words spreading online and the unfortunate situation of people causing misunderstandings by impersonating me."
"I didn't say anything because it was the obvious truth that people would not believe me, interpret [my words] as they wish, and that I would receive even harsher replies," she continued, before clarifying rumors that Jungkook's new tattoos on his knuckles contained her initials. "I would like to once again state that it is absolutely not true that I am dating Jungkook or that I tattooed my initials on him."
She stressed, "We are simply close friends, and I am very apologetic as it seems that fans were extremely hurt in addition to myself and people around me. I will not say anything further. I would just like to make it clear that I was not ignoring or disregarding everything."
The dating rumors sparked after CCTV photos emerged showing someone who looked like Jungkook hugging a woman from behind. Another photo taken from another day featured Jungkook and the girl in question, who is believed to be Lee Mijoo, having drinks together.
Big Hit Entertainment quickly responded to the rumors, saying in a statement, "Big Hit Entertainment would like to make it clear that the claims regarding our artist, Jungkook, that are being made on social media right now are not true. Jungkook found out that his friends from a tattoo shop were in the area while he was visiting Geoje Island during his vacation. Jungkook met with his friends from the tattoo shop and his friends on Geoje Island, and together, they went to a karaoke room. After that is what has been distorted from the truth."
"We regret that such trivial matters of out artist’s personal life during his vacation became so distorted," the label added, threatening to take legal action against those who violated Jungkook's privacy and spread the rumors. "We will be taking legal action against the leak of private information and violation of privacy after investigating whether the CCTV footage was leaked or illegally filmed. In addition, we will also take legal action against those who spread false information with no exceptions."
BTS recently resumed the group's activities after taking an extended break. They were spotted at Incheon International Airport in South Korea on Monday to catch a flight and head overseas. "BTS has ended their period of rest and will be flying out today for a scheduled activity," a rep for Big Hit confirmed. In a circulating video, Jimin, RM, J-Hope, V, Suga and Jungkook were seen entering the airport, while Jin was left behind for an unknown reason.
Ilgan Sports has reported that BTS will join the lineup of the 2019 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour, which is expected to take place this November in Los Angeles. Monsta X was the first K-Pop group to perform at the annual event last year.
