SM Entertainment on Wednesday announced plans to take legal action against individuals responsible for malicious posts and comments targeting aespa member Winter amid circulating rumors that she is dating BTS member Jungkook.
The agency released a formal statement detailing the scope of its legal response to the rumors. In the statement, SM Entertainment identified numerous defamatory posts, sexual harassment content, and fabricated rumors spread across multiple online platforms, including DC Inside, Women’s Era, Nate Pann, Instiz, Theqoo, Instagram, X, and YouTube. The agency also said it intends to take civil and criminal action against people who created harmful posts against Winter on those platforms and other online communities.
“Please note that we will respond rigorously without leniency and urge everyone to avoid engaging in such misconduct,” the statement read. Light. “We will continue to do our best to protect the rights and interests of our artists in every way possible.”
The legal action comes in the wake of online speculation that began earlier this week when rumors about Winter and Jungkook dating circulated on Korean social media. Some netizens further fueled the rumors, claiming that the two artists shared matching tattoos of three dog heads on their arms and had also pointed out that they wore similar fashion items and accessories on separate occasions, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
Additional details cited by online users include similarities in shared content, including matching music selections. Netizens also pointed out that Jungkook’s former Instagram handle, @mnijungkook, was potentially related to Winter’s real name, Kim Min-jung. Although the BTS singer later clarified that his nickname stood for his first name.
Since the rumors began circulating, neither SM Entertainment nor HYBE—the parent company of Jungkook’s agency Big Hit Music—have released a statement. Neither Winter nor Jungkook have confirmed or denied the dating rumors.
Both idols have previously been the subject of dating rumors. Jungkook has been linked to a former classmate, a tattoo artist named Lee Mijoo, actress Lee Yu Bi and BLACKPINK’s Lisa. Winter has been linked to ENHYPEN’s Jungwon, a rumor she personally denied.
