Kim Soo Hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, released a statement on Thursday refuting allegations that the actor had been in a romantic relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor. The statement came in response to claims made by Garo Sero Institute, a YouTube channel known for its investigative reports, which alleged that Kim Soo Hyun had been involved with Kim Sae Ron before she became an adult.
The agency acknowledged that the two had dated but specified that the relationship occurred between the summer of 2019 and the fall of 2020, after Kim Sae Ron had reached adulthood. "It is not true that Kim Soo Hyun dated her when she was a minor," Gold Medalist stated. The agency also refuted claims that photos presented by Garo Sero Institute as evidence of an underage relationship had been taken in 2016. "The clothes Kim Sae Ron was wearing at the time were released in June 2019 by the brand, so Garo Sero Institute's claim that the photo was taken in 2016 is impossible," the agency said.
Gold Medalist further asserted that metadata from a separate set of photos confirmed they were taken on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2019, and not during Kim Sae Ron's teenage years. The agency said the allegations were based on misleading interpretations of images and letters, including correspondence Kim Soo Hyun sent to friends during his military service. "Kim Soo Hyun's letter to Kim Sae Ron while he was in the military was just one of the letters he sent to his close friends," the statement read. "The expression 'I miss you' is a light-hearted phrase commonly used by soldiers in communication with friends."
The controversy has placed considerable strain on Kim Soo Hyun, with the agency revealing that the actor has suffered "extreme confusion and chaos" following the accusations. Gold Medalist said that on the night of March 12, after Garo Sero Institute's broadcast, individuals with cameras were waiting near the agency's headquarters, and similar incidents were reported the following day. "This psychological pressure has severely affected Kim Soo Hyun's mental health," the agency said.
The agency also responded to accusations that Kim Soo Hyun's management company had pressured Kim Sae Ron to repay a financial debt of 700 million won (approximately $481,300), which the YouTube report claimed contributed to her tragic passing. Gold Medalist denied this claim, stating that the agency had already covered a substantial portion of Kim Sae Ron's financial liabilities. The agency clarified that the penalties arising from her 2022 drunk driving incident, which led to compensation claims from advertisers and affected production companies, had initially totaled over 1.1 billion won. "Due to various efforts to reduce her financial burden, the remaining amount was approximately 700 million won," the agency explained.
Gold Medalist added that Kim Sae Ron was unable to fully repay her debt due to financial difficulties, and the agency ultimately wrote off the remaining amount in December 2023. The company said it had followed legal procedures to ensure the debt was recognized as an uncollectible expense for tax purposes but had not pressured Kim Sae Ron for repayment. The agency argued that linking the actress's passing to these financial matters was "an unreasonable claim and excessively malicious speculation."
The statement also criticized the informant who appeared on Garo Sero Institute's broadcast, claiming to be a family member of Kim Sae Ron. Gold Medalist stated that the individual was actually an acquaintance of Kim Sae Ron's mother and questioned the credibility of their claims. "The informant's identity cannot even be confirmed, and their statements are distorting reality and creating rumors," the agency said.
Gold Medalist emphasized that the exposure of Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron's private lives was not only invasive but also damaging. "Even though the relationship between two adults is a private matter, the forced disclosure of personal lives and the spread of misinformation are causing immense pain," the agency said.
The controversy has intensified online, with supporters and critics of Kim Soo Hyun engaging in heated discussions on social media. The agency urged the public to distinguish between verified facts and speculation, stating that while public scrutiny is inevitable, misinformation should not dictate the narrative. "False claims and misleading interpretations should not be accepted as truth simply because they generate attention," the agency said.
