The mother of late 'Ulzzang Generation' star Lee Chi Hoon denied rumors he had suffered from coronavirus before his death as well as alleged associations to Shincheonji, the religious organization that was at the center of the coronavirus outbreak in the city of Daegu.

Lee Chi Hoon was reported to have suddenly passed away at the age of 32 earlier this month, and it was later found he had suffered from acute septicemia (blood poisoning). On March 30, his mother took to Instagram to deny the rumors about her son, writing, "He was not Shincheonji. He never went overseas. He never went to Daegu. He left the house twice a month, and the last time he left the house was 2 weeks before he passed. There are no overlaps between his acquaintances and confirmed patients. My son did not have coronavirus. It's evidence that I was with him 24 hours a day, and I'm safe though I'm older."

She continued, "I wrote what I did above because as a mother, I've had to repeat the same things so many times that I'm scared even thinking about it. I'm going to write down my son's painful 1 week here because acquaintances want to know, and it's painful for me to go over the details."  

Netizens previously expressed anger as Lee Chi Hoon had to be tested for the coronavirus first at the emergency room before undergoing any other examination, which may have led to his death.