Choa of AOA denied news report she is dating Lee Suk-jin, CEO of game company Najin Industry.

Choa of AOA (Herald DB)

“We confirmed with Choa that Lee is just one of her acquaintances and that they are not dating,” said the singer’s agency official Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, a local media outlet reported that the singer, who hasn’t been joining group activities for nearly two months, is in the early stages of relationship with Lee. It also said Kim Hee-chul of
Super Junior laid the bridge between the two, especially at the time Choa was going through hard times.

The report read “Kim, who is known to be a big fan of games, became friends with Lee and introduced Choa to Lee. They have been discreetly dating and Choa considers Lee her life mentor.”

The singer was recently embroiled in controversy over her unexplained break from group activities since AOA’s March concert. As worries mounted over her absence and rumors that she might leave the group circulated, her agency recently issued a statement that the singer is merely taking a break and will return in the near future.

Choa also took to Instagram on Tuesday to address the issue. Apologizing for having worried her fans, she said the break had been planned and discussed with the head of her agency prior to filming the music video for “Excuse Me” in December 2016.

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)