Winter, left, and Jungwon. Photo from the X accounts of aespa and Belift LabThe management companies of K-pop stars Winter of aespa and Jungwon of ENHYPEN have refuted rumors claiming the two are dating, according to reports.

The rumors reportedly began from an online claim made early Wednesday, alleging that Winter, 23, and Jungwon, 20, were spotted together at a whisky bar in the upscale Cheongdam neighborhood in Seoul.

But in a report by K-pop news website Soompi, SM Entertainment and Belift Lab, the agencies managing aespa and ENHYPEN, respectively, denied the rumors.

"The person who circulated the photo contacted a media outlet with the intention of monetary gain, attempting to communicate with us directly. However, when the outlet refused, stating that they cannot help contact [us] for reports with the purpose of monetary gain, they seemed to have maliciously circulated [the photo]," SM Entertainment said in a statement in the Soompi article.

SM added it would take "legal action" against the individual who spread the photo, while Belift Lab said it would "take strong action against any acts that infringe on the privacy of our artists or create or spread malicious rumors."

Both debuting in November 2020, aespa is a four-member girl group known for its metaverse concept, while the seven-piece ENHYPEN, a commercially successful boy band, follows a vampire concept.

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