Actor Heo Nam-jun shared a candid, lighthearted reaction to the whirlwind dating rumors linking him to Hong I-seol—turning the buzz into a joke rather than a scandal.
In a June 19 finale interview for SBS’s Fri–Sat drama My Royal Nemesis, Heo brought up the recent rumors and said, "When I first saw the article, it was so funny that I laughed for a long time."
He added, "I never imagined I’d have dating rumors with that friend. It felt strange, but I was amazed, like, 'Wow, people can get linked like this.' Then I thought, 'What connection do we even have?' and it just struck me as funny. I figured, 'I guess I’m now an actor who gets dating rumors. That means I made it.'"
The romance buzz started as a harmless mix-up after people highlighted that Hong I-seol—who paired up on-screen in a secretary role—and Heo Nam-jun are actually alumni of the same university in real life.
Earlier on the 14th, Hong I-seol drew a clear line on her Instagram Story, saying, "We only became close after taking classes together in college—we’re just colleagues. The dating rumor is not true at all." She added at the time, "With all the ongoing speculation, I was worried it might burden the other actor, so I’m speaking up directly. I’d appreciate it if everyone could refrain from further speculation."
Meanwhile, My Royal Nemesis—powered by the duo’s standout performances—wrapped up to strong viewer love on the 20th.