Early on March 3, Chinese media reported that PRISTIN‘s Kyulkyung (Zhou Jieqiong) and Chinese billionaire Wang Sicong were dating, and that the two were spotted together spending a vacation in Japan. Pledis Entertainment has since released their statement regarding the rumors, firmly denying them.

The rumors were also growing after it was reported that Wang Sicong picked up Kyulkyung from Shanghai International Airport on March 2, in his own car.

Pledis Entertainment firmly denyed the rumors, and even threatened legal action against the news agency that started the rumor, which originated in Taiwan.

“The fake news originated from Taiwan. The rumors are groundless and if they are continued to be spread, we will consider taking legal action.” — Pledis Entertainment

Kyulkyung’s Chinese agency XCSS (星燦盛世, Xing Can Sheng Shi) also released their own statement, denying all rumors.

“Recently, internet users on both Sina Weibo and Douban have been claiming that Wang Sicong and Joo Kyulkyung went on vacation together. Immediately after the rumors were released, many users online spread them, causing misunderstandings and suspicion to arise and damage to our artist, Joo Kyulkyung. In order to protect our celebrity, our statement is as follows: First, these rumors spread online is far from the truth, and is just groundless speculation and malicious gossip. This malicious rumor has already seriously affected the reputation of our celebrity, Joo Kyulkyung. The rumors are also violating her legal rights. Second, we strongly condemn these rumors and warn all Internet users who have spread these false rumors to delete them. In addition, the various platforms where the rumors were posted should delete the posts with the rumors in accordance with national surveillance requirements and rules, and monitor for any further posts regarding the topic. Third, we will continue to monitor the online trends and for Internet users who continue to spread the false rumors, we will refer them to the Beijing Law Office, who will then take legal action. We believe Internet users should be subject to legal regulations, and even though the content may seem complete, the truth can be left out, or things can intentionally be modified. We hope users do not exceed their legal rights to the Internet and respect other human’s dignity and rights. — XSCC

Wang Sicong is the only son of Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, and does have some ties to K-Pop, as he is the founder of Banana Culture Music, which runs the Chinese promotions for EXID, and for T-ara when they were still promoting together. Former missA member Meng Jia is also signed to his label. E-sports fans will also know his name as he is the creator of Invictus Gaming, a successful team in both Dota 2 and League of Legends.