Singer Hong Jin-young moved to explain that she has no personal ties regarding an old photo taken with Ms. Lee, known as the "injection aunt," who is suspected of illegal medical practice.
On the 23rd, agency IMH Entertainment said of the photo released the day before, "We understand it was taken during Hong Jin-young's 'Boogie Man' promotions," adding, "Counting by years, we presume it was taken about 12 years ago at a hospital."
Hong Jin-young emphasized that because so much time has passed since the shoot, she has no memory at all of Ms. Lee in the photo with her, and that it was merely one of many instances in which she took photos at the request of hospitals or brands for certification shots during her past activities as a singer.
The agency said, "Lee and Hong Jin-young are not even connected as followers on social networking services (SNS) and have no relationship whatsoever."
Recently, the entertainment industry has been roiled by growing allegations that people received illegal medical services from Lee, who has no medical license. Starting with Park Narae, SHINee's Key and YouTuber Ipjalbeun Haetnim have halted their activities amid related controversies, so Hong Jin-young's side appears to have responded quickly to prevent misunderstandings.