Starship Entertainment, which manages the popular K-pop boy band MONSTA X and girl band WJSN, also known as Cosmic Girls, on 21 April released an official statement denouncing an exclusive report in Sports Chosun, which claimed that members of the aforementioned groups - Kihyun and Bona - have been in a relationship for the past five years.
According to the report, the two idols have been very careful on their dates, choosing quiet and private locations and recently travelled to Jeju together.
In response to the rumours, the agency said that they are not dating and that their relations are only as junior and senior colleagues.
Meanwhile, MONSTA X is planning to release its new mini album "FANTASIA X" on 11 May. The band has become widely known worldwide since their English-language release “All About Luv”, which got number five on the US Billboard 200 after its release.
Bona, the vocalist and centre of Cosmic Girls, is quite successful on TV: she debuted as an actress in 2017 in the “Hit the Top” TV series and has had leading roles in the “Girls' Generation 1979” and “Your House Helper” K-dramas.
Fans of both groups met the news warmly and even teased their idols a bit:
everyone about to head to youtube to search up monsta x & wjsn moments to look @ bona and kihyun pic.twitter.com/RbmZ55djWT
— tash 🍡 (@cherubchae) April 21, 2020
kihyun going home to bona after getting cash money from mbb cause he was in the studio wailing about some heartbreak he aint never knew. pic.twitter.com/N4MhQFTlF6
— kang awoogi, (@hotephyun) April 21, 2020
kihyun and bona laughing at dispatch because they had them fooled for 5 years pic.twitter.com/O44JvVNFbc
— sara (@4mnjoon) April 21, 2020
kihyun and bona everytime another idol couple got caught pic.twitter.com/QUBJvOBVv7
— ˣ¹ min min ₁₂₇ 💫. ° .・゜ (@milkchaaii) April 21, 2020
all of kpop stan twt after hyping kihyun and bona dating only to see it was fake pic.twitter.com/mOqelrlpOL
— faith 🍃 nsfr!! (@sprinkleechae) April 21, 2020
Dispatch yet again FUMING they didn’t catch kihyun and bona... THIS IS SO FUNNY pic.twitter.com/SaE29a8Kzq
— priki?☾xue yangs mistress (@nopalitossss) April 21, 2020
