(LEAD) Agency of Kim Seon-ho apologizes over abortion rumors

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SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- The management agency of South Korean actor Kim Seon-ho said Tuesday it is trying to determine the truth following allegations the actor forced an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion, as it offered an apology for causing concern to fans.

"We're sorry for causing concern over a not-good issue," Salt Entertainment said in a statement, breaking its silence on the rumors. "We're trying to find out the truth."

On Sunday, an anonymous writer, who claimed that she is an ex-girlfriend of rising star "Actor K," uploaded a post that he had allegedly coerced her into getting an abortion while they were dating.

Since then, the post has gone viral on online communities, and a growing number of people speculated that "Actor K" referred to Kim, who has been gaining popularity for his role in the tvN romantic comedy "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha."

But his agency had remained silent until Tuesday.

In the statement, the agency also apologized for not presenting its position quickly. "We ask you to wait a little longer as the truth has not yet been verified."

The rapidly spreading rumors have also affected a series of media interviews for "Hometown," which came to an end Sunday.

Kim's agency has canceled his online interview with local press slated for Wednesday, citing "internal issues."

Co-stars Shin Min-a and Lee Sang-yi also called off their planned media interviews on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, to mark the successful end of the project.

Their agencies said they made the decision because of internal situations of the companies but declined to give further details.

brk@yna.co.kr
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