Actor Kim Soo-hyun is facing renewed scrutiny from the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron, who allege that close friends of the deceased were aware of a relationship between the two that began while she was still a minor. The remarks, first aired during the April 1 broadcast of TV Chosun's investigative program Case File 24, come amid an intensifying public dispute and a defamation lawsuit filed by Kim's agency.
"We spoke with the attorney representing Kim Sae-ron's family. They expressed disappointment that while Kim Soo-hyun apologized to the public, he offered no apology to the bereaved family," the broadcast stated.
According to the family's attorney, "At least eight of Kim Sae-ron's close friends were aware that she had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since her teenage years." The lawyer said these individuals were preparing a collective statement and "might consider making it public" after watching Kim Soo-hyun's press conference and feeling "frustrated."
The attorney added, "Even if he had acknowledged having feelings for her during her teenage years but claimed a formal relationship began only after she turned legal, that might have been acceptable. But we don't understand why he is outright denying everything."
The case erupted after Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her Seoul residence on February 16. The family held a funeral shortly after and later claimed in an interview with the controversial YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute that Kim Soo-hyun and the late actress dated for six years, beginning when she was 15.
Initially, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, dismissed the claim as "clear falsehoods that cannot be tolerated." However, it later released a revised statement acknowledging that "Kim Sae-ron and I dated from the summer of 2019, after she became an adult, until fall 2020."
The dispute has been further complicated by separate financial issues. The family also accused Kim Sae-ron's agency of pressuring her to repay 700 million won borrowed to handle her 2022 drunk driving incident, despite her being in financial distress. Gold Medalist responded by saying, "If we were to arbitrarily bear the penalty that Kim Sae-ron should bear, it could lead to the agency's executives being accused of breach of trust."
In response to Kim Soo-hyun's denial of a relationship during her minor years, the family held a press conference and presented alleged KakaoTalk messages and handwritten letters from Kim Sae-ron to substantiate their claim. Kim Soo-hyun has maintained, "I did not have a relationship with the deceased when she was a minor."
Kim Soo-hyun's legal team has now filed a defamation lawsuit against Kim Sae-ron's family, the operator of Gaseyeon, and another unidentified individual. The complaint seeks 12 billion won in damages for the alleged spread of false information via online platforms.
