Kim Chae-won, a member of girl group Le Sserafim, denied a report that she is dating a former rapper.

Shukan Bunshun, a Japanese weekly news magazine, reported on Wednesday that the K-pop singer is dating a former rapper, whose name was kept anonymous. It also published selfies which it claimed the couple took together.

These photos later turned out to be photoshopped.

The outlet announced on Tuesday that it had "gotten hands on a picture of a globally-popular K-pop idol dating" and will reveal them on Wednesday.

However, fans soon found that Kim's face had been photoshopped next to the man's face from an old photograph she took before with Sakura, another member of Le Sserafim. The man in the photograph also wrote on his Instagram account that he is just a fan and he photoshopped himself in the picture.

Kim's agency Source Music was also quick to deny the rumors.

Kim made her first debut in 2018 as a part of project girl group IZ*ONE and then again last May as a part of girl group Le Sserafim.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]