Actor Lee Chang Hoon has opened up about his past dating rumors with Song Hye Kyo, revealing that both of them were already in relationships when the rumors began during their time on the popular SBS sitcom *Soonpoong Clinic*.
On November 6, Lee Chang Hoon appeared on the YouTube channel *Yoo Jung and Drinking*, where he spoke with actress Seo Yoo Jung about his acting career and past experiences in the entertainment industry.
During their conversation, Lee Chang Hoon was asked about the dating rumors that linked him to Song Hye Kyo when they appeared together in *Soonpoong Clinic*.
The actor firmly denied that they had ever been romantically involved.
*"The dating rumors were not true. I had a girlfriend at the time, and Song Hye Kyo also had a boyfriend,"* he explained.
Lee Chang Hoon described Song Hye Kyo as someone he cared for like a younger sister rather than a romantic partner.
*"Hye Kyo felt like a younger sister from church. She was someone I wanted to protect. I never had romantic feelings for her,"* he said.
According to the actor, the rumors began gaining attention after the sitcom introduced a storyline in which Song Hye Kyo's character had a crush on his character.
The fictional romance became popular with viewers, leading some people to hope that the two actors would become a couple in real life.
*"After they added the storyline where Hye Kyo had a crush on me, people started saying they wanted us to end up together,"* he recalled.
He added that some reporters even encouraged the idea of the two dating.
*"Reporters would tell me we looked good together and ask why we couldn't date,"* he shared.
However, Lee Chang Hoon explained that he was uncomfortable with the attention because of their age difference.
*"I was in my mid-30s, and Hye Kyo was around 20,"* he said.
The actor recalled becoming angry when some reports used inappropriate descriptions of their rumored relationship. He said he contacted reporters directly to express his frustration.
Lee Chang Hoon emphasized that he did not want Song Hye Kyo, who was still a young actress building her career, to be unnecessarily involved in romantic speculation.
He also shared a lighthearted comment about how people continue to ask him about the rumors years later.
According to Lee Chang Hoon, he used to immediately deny the dating rumors, but now that Song Hye Kyo has become an internationally recognized actress, he sometimes responds jokingly when people bring up the subject.
*"These days, when someone asks if we really dated, I just tell them to think whatever they want,"* he said.
Despite his playful response, Lee Chang Hoon made clear during the interview that the dating rumors were not true.
His comments offered new details about the speculation surrounding their *Soonpoong Clinic* days and how the popularity of their fictional relationship led to misunderstandings about their personal lives.
