Kim Soo Hyun is under intense scrutiny for allegedly dating Kim Sae Ron as a minor. Public trust has been lost, and no matter how he addresses the allegations, it’s unlikely to be regained.
The Kdrama actress was found dead in her apartment on February 16, which also happens to be Kim Soo Hyun’s birthday.
On March 10, the controversy erupted when YouTube channel HOVERLAB Garo Sero Institute came forward with claims that the 37-year-old actor dated Kim Sae Ron from 2015 to 2021. She was underage and in middle school at the time.
Notably, his agency Gold Medalist refuted dating rumors when the “Kiss Sixth Sense” actress shared an intimate photo with Kim Soo Hyun in March 2024. This led to massive backlash as many accused her of sharing the photo to get attention. She eventually decided to not share her side of the story.
After her untimely demise, reports about his past relationship with the “Queen of Tears” actor have emerged. Since March 10, YouTube Garo Sero continues to release photos of videos when they were together. They even threatened to release more videos if he would not confirm his past romance with the late actress.
On Friday, March 14, Kim Soo Hyun admitted to his relationship with Kim Sae Ron after denying it multiple times. However, his agency denied claims that he dated her as a minor and their relationship only lasted a year, from 2019 to 2020.
Despite his confession, the Garo Sero Research Institute continued to release videos and photos from the time they were together. In response, Kim Soo Hyun’s legal team, LKB & Partners, has issued a statement, providing counterarguments and photo evidence to refute the allegations on April 2.
First off, they issued a rebuttal to the infamous “lingerie” video that he sent to Sae Ron from Paris. He addressed himself as Kim YouTube and filmed the video of mannequins wearing lingerie. Kim was seen saying that Korean women do not have “this kind of proportion”.
Gold Medalist and legal team stated that the videos and postcards sent to the deceased actress were from November 2019. She was 20 years old at the time, according to the Korean age system.
Another video Garo Sero shared was when Kim Soo Hyun had Soju with Kim Sae Ron at his home at almost midnight during military leave. He received backlash for drinking with a minor when the video was first released.
In response, the legal team admitted that the video is indeed from June 2018 and filmed at the actor and his family’s apartment in Seoul. They stated that the two were not in a romantic relationship then and his family was present.
Another sasaeng photo where Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron are seen standing in front of the photo was released earlier when the scandal broke. The agency refuted that the person in the photo is Kim Soo Hyun and he has never been to her old house in Ilsan. They also denied claims that he visited Kim Sae Ron while her family was gone.
The most viral photo where Kim Soo Hyun is standing in the Kitchen, presumably Kim Sae Ron’s house, with no pants on was also addressed. Gold Medalist claimed that the picture was taken at his new apartment in Seoul in 2020 and has no connection to his relationship.
They also clarified one of the early photos released by Garo Sero where Kim Soo Hyun is seen kissing the late actress. The YouTube channel criticized the “Real” actor for kissing a 9th grader.
The agency claimed that the photo was taken in 2019, when both were legal adults. Lastly, a ski photo was shared by Garo Sero, alleging that it was taken between 2015 to 2016. The YT channel claimed that the Descente ski jackets they were wearing were from those years.
Gold Medalist stated that all agency employees went to Vivaldi Ski Resort in January 2020, and that’s when their photos were taken. They claimed that more photos from the trips with staff also exist.
More text messages, videos, and photos have been continuously released by Garo Sero Research Institute. In response, the agency is issuing explanations and clarifying their position.
Kim Soo Hyun’s career is taking a beating as the controversy rages on with no end in sight. He has lost almost all his endorsement deals and his social media following is in free fall.
