“It was just two months ago when I began to date President Aquino. I was upset several times as the media went too far (regarding relations between the two),” said Grace Lee, a popular Korean TV celebrity who is active in Manila.

Lee, 30, made the remarks in an interview with the Hankook Ilbo, a sister paper of The Korea Times, which she held during the Korea-Philippines Cultural Exchanges Festival in Lohas City, the Philippines, last Thursday.

She emceed the event which was organized by Lohas State University.

It was her first interview with Korean media since she was reported to be dating Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III.

Lee appeared to be very perplexed as to why her alleged romantic relationship with President Aquino, 52, has become the talk of the town in Korea as well as the Philippines.

Sometime ago, rumors had it that they had broken up since Aquino said he had yet to find a marriage partner. But she dismissed the rumors during the interview, saying that she was on good terms with Aquino and they spent time together.

Lee said as President Aquino was very busy, they could not set aside time to see each other easily. However, she said, they were trying to meet two or three times a week. She added that they find the time to do so less than other couples.

She first met President Aquino on June 27 last year when she attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a power station in Cebu where she served as the event’s emcee.

Aquino’s relationship with Lee was first made public in a Twitter posting that said Aquino went out on a date with her. The Philippine media have since churned out stories regarding the couple, raising the possibility of her becoming the Southeast Asian nation’s first lady.

Aquino, son of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, was elected president in 2010. He is nicknamed “Noynoy.”

Lee was born and raised in Seoul, but moved to the Philippines at the age of 10 because of her father’s business.