Lee Min-ho (left) and Park Min-young during a press conference for SBS TV series "City Hunter" [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Actors Lee Min-ho and Park Min-young have denied they are dating, downplaying a report from early in the day which said the two have been a couple for a month.

On Tuesday, an official with Lee's agency Starhaus Entertainment told 10Asia over the phone, "It is true they are attracted to each other and are getting close but they are not dating yet," in response to the article which also carried photographs of the two who were spotted exiting the same venue or getting into the same car.

The official then explained that the two have known each other for four to five years now but became close while playing lovers in the recently ended SBS TV series "City Hunter."

For two months starting late May, the two starred in "City Hunter," based on the Japanese manga series by Tsukasa Hojo, which ended its run as the most-watched Wednesday and Thursday primetime series.

"Lee tends to be on good terms with the actresses he does projects with but he had good chemistry with Park more than anyone else so they were close while they shot the series....... They also had the same stylists so they all hung out together a few times after the drama ended."

Park's agency gave a similar response. "It would be right to say that they're slowing getting to know each other rather than to say they're in a deep relationship."

"They're both so busy even after the drama ended that they don't have time to actually date each other properly. I don't know in detail since it's her personal life but they're attracted to each other yet not dating yet."

Lee, 24, has been one of Korea's most popular stars throughout Asia since shooting to stardom through drama "Boys Over Flowers" in 2009.

Park, a year older, gained attention after appearing in popular sitcom "High Kick 1" in 2006 and saw her popularity soar after starring in KBS' "SungKyunKwan Scandal" last year.

Lee is now choosing his next acting project while Park has been cast in a new series titled "The Glory of Jae-in" (tentative title) set to go on air starting October.

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10 아시아 Reporter : Ko Kyoung-seok kave@
10 아시아 Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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