[Sportschosun Kim Jun-seok] Actors Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young, as well as Lee Sang-yi and Han Dong-hee, who appear in the TVING original series "The Legendary Cook," have been caught up in baseless dating rumors. Director Jo Nam-hyeong, who helmed the drama, stepped forward to clarify the situation.
On the 18th, a post spread across online communities and Social Networking Service (SNS) platforms, along with a screenshot of a DM, or direct message, that was made to look like a conversation with Director Jo Nam-hyeong. The post claimed, "I asked the director of 'The Legendary Cook,' and it looks like Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young, Lee Sang-yi and Han Dong-hee are really dating."
In the circulated screenshot, the writer asked, "There is talk that actors Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young, and actors Lee Sang-yi and Han Dong-hee, are dating. Are you aware of this?" The other side was shown replying, "It is difficult for me to say anything specific, but those pairings were not just made up, were they?"
The claim spread quickly and snowballed into dating rumors surrounding the actors. In particular, Park Ji-hoon and Jeon So-young had formed a romantic line in the series, prompting some fans to speculate about whether they were actually dating.
As the controversy grew, however, Director Jo Nam-hyeong stepped in personally.
Through his SNS account, Jo posted a brief message saying, "Don't fabricate things. I never sent any DMs," making clear that the conversation circulating online was false.
After the director's clarification, the DM was revealed to be impersonated or fabricated, and the original post has since been deleted.
Neither the actors nor their agencies have issued any separate statement, and no objective evidence has been found to support the dating rumors.
In the end, the controversy appears to have been nothing more than an online incident triggered by a DM screenshot that seems to have impersonated the director.
Meanwhile, "The Legendary Cook" is based on the popular web novel and webtoon of the same name. It tells the story of military cook Kang Seong-jae as he grows through his outstanding cooking skills.
Park Ji-hoon played the lead role of Kang Seong-jae, while Jeon So-young appeared as Jung Min-ah, a reporter for Kookbang Ilbo, and worked alongside him.
narusi@sportschosun.com
