Actor Kim Soo-Hyun recently came under fire for his age when he was dating now-late actress Kim Sae-Ron. The actor was accused of dating Sae-Ron when she was just a teenager. Now, after her tragic passing, their ages have been brought to light and are causing a lot of backlash for Soo-Hyun. He was forced to face critics and tearfully address the accusations while completely denying any wrongdoing. Skeptics believe that it’s all a bunch of crocodile tears.
The Story of Kim Soo-Hyun and Kim Sae-Ron
On February 16, South Korean actress Kim Sae-Ron was found dead at her residence in Seoul. It was later determined that she tragically died by suicide. Shocked by her sudden death, many wondered what happened and if there was more to the story that the public didn’t know about.
According to NDTV, a video was uploaded to the YouTube channel Farosero Research Institute claiming that Kim Soo-Hyun once dated Sae-Ron. They also alleged that when they started dating back in 2015, she was just 15 years old, a minor, while he was 27 years old, and they were in a long-term secret relationship. The couple dated for six years before Soo-Hyun broke things off after Sae-Ron received a DUI in May 2022, which negatively impacted her career.
Despite their breakup, Kim Soo-Hyun and his label, Gold Medalist, helped her with legal fees and getting her career back on the right track. According to NDTV, Soo-Hyun shelled out about $483,000 in damages and didn’t ask Sae-Ron to pay it back. However, once her contract with Gold Medalist ended in 2024, the company sent her a notice that she legally had to pay back all of the money.
Sae-Ron’s aunt claimed that she died by suicide due to the pressure of not being able to pay all of the money back to Soo-Hyun and his label.
Gold Medalist then released a statement, claiming that the accusations made by Sae-Ron’s aunt were completely baseless and malicious. They also threatened to take legal action against the YouTube channel that posted the video, alleging that Soo-Hyun and Sae-Ron dated when she was underage.
Despite threatening legal action, another YouTube video was posted, featuring more evidence, including texts between Soo-Hyun and Sae-Ron where she begged him for more time to pay back the money. There was also a picture from 2016 of Kim Soo-Hyun kissing Sae-Ron on the cheek when she was a minor.
Naturally, this has started a firestorm as Soo-Hyun is now receiving a lot of backlash, and other proof is starting to surface. According to NDTV, when speaking about marriage, he said, “It looks like my marriage timeline has been pushed back a bit. I think I might be able to get married at around 41. I’ll marry a 21-year-old when I’m 41.”
Since all of this has come to light, several brands have cut ties with the actor, and he’s been dropped by television shows and other projects.
Damage Control
With things getting out of control for Soo-Hyun and the recent developments, the actor called a press conference to address the accusations. During the press conference, Kim Soo-Hyun was brought to tears when he denied the allegations repeatedly.
According to CNN, he said, “I did not date her when she was a minor. Apart from the fact that we were both actors, we were just an ordinary couple like anyone else. We had feelings for each other, and as time passed, we eventually parted ways. After that, we rarely kept in touch.”
It was also announced at the press conference that there was a lawsuit against the YouTube channel that posted the original videos along with the family of Kim Sae-Ron. In the lawsuit, both parties are accused of defamation and violation of information protection.
Unfortunately for Kim Soo-Hyun, the legacy of Sae-Ron, and her family, this whole mess is only going to continue to get messier. The legal battles are just beginning as Soo-Hyun fights for his innocence and Sae-Ron’s family fights for justice for the late actress.
