This combined photo shows Lee Kang-in (left) and Lee Na-eun. (AFP, Namoo Actors)
South Korean actor Lee Na-eun, who was formerly part of girl group April, denied rumors that she is in a romantic relationship with soccer player Lee Kang-in on Tuesday.
Lee's agency, Namoo Actors, said that she and the Paris Saint-Germain player "just know each other," responding to earlier reports the two are dating. The agency said that the two had had a meeting, but it was merely for the actor to receive tickets to a game.
Lee Kang-in's representatives did not comment.
Earlier Tuesday, a local media outlet reported that the two stars appear to be in a romantic relationship, saying they were seen in the parking lot of a hotel in Yeouido, western Seoul, where Lee was staying with teammates on the national team. The sightings reportedly occurred on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 last year, prior to the national team's match against Singapore, a preliminary ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The two stars were also reported to have spent time at Lee Na-eun's home in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, after the match on Nov. 17.
Lee Na-eun debuted in 2015 as a member of K-pop girl group April, then kicked off her acting career in the first season of web drama "A-Teen" in 2018. She went into acting full time after her group disbanded in January 2022.
Lee Kang-in joined his current club in French professional soccer Ligue 1, following a stint in Spain's division 1 La Liga. He is considered a crucial member of the South Korean national team, having recorded an assist in his first World Cup outing at the 2022 event in Qatar.
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