Old pictures of NCT 127's Johnny and Byeon Woo Seok, an actor, have surfaced online, sparking lighthearted "dating rumors" among fans following the idol's recent interview remarks.
As Koreaboo reports, viral pictures—previously snapped in 2024—capture the two celebrities as being very close, and hence netizens humorously suggested that their friendship resembled a romance.
On the photos, the two are spotted having happy moments together. They are smiling, posing side by side, and even sharing a playful piggyback pose that went viral very fast across social media.
On a recent interview, Johnny gave a light-hearted account of their friendship. Asked how the two became friends, he replied innocently:
"We got close while working out. We're friends who cheer each other on," NCT's Johnny said, describing their supportive dynamic.
this worded like they're addressing dating rumors https://t.co/LgEb4bfwnN
— 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 🌷🕊 (@janeyzusak) October 5, 2025
Instead of calming down the playful speculation, Johnny's relaxed answer only fueled more jokes among netizens who saw the interview.
Other Korean users on TheQoo responded funnily to his remark, with most of them believing it was proof of the close relationship between the two of them. One netizen typed, "Wow, I was honestly shocked.. I thought it was a dating rumor lol." Another typed, "LOL are they dating or what."
Other users chimed in with the same playful comments. Some of the most popular comments were, "With that kind of response, I'd say it's basically confirmed lol," and "Be happy, you two LMAO."
Rather than showing discontent or shock, fans have rolled with the incident and laughed it off.
The reactions over cyberspace have led the photoshoot photos to be a viral hot topic with the truth to their friendship, they've shown between Johnny and Byeon Woo Seok.
Despite all the fun speculation, the two stars have earned acclaim for their ability to promote a friendship unaffected by neither of their K-pop career or acting profession.
The reappearance of the images (in conjunction with Johnny's quote) has now made the duo viral once again, but as a result of their genuine friendship and playfulness.
