After weeks of backlash and criticism from the ever wild K-drama fandom, South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has broken his silence over allegations of dating late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.
Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference earlier today, March 31, to defend his side and told the other side of the story. It came weeks after his talent agency, Gold Medalist, denied he was in relationship of the late actress.
Kim Soo-hyun experienced distress over the past weeks in connection with this controversy with several brands dropping him as endorser, putting his flourishing career into jeopardy.
In his press conference, Kim Soo-hyun admitted in tears, “I consider myself a coward. I have always been too preoccupied with holding on to what I have. I couldn’t even trust the goodwill that came my way, always fearing loss, harm and running away, denying everything. That’s why it took me so long to stand here today,” he said (as translated in English by Korean news site Korea JoongAng Daily).
The Queen of Tears actor then admitted he infact dated Kim Sae-ron but denied she was a minor at that time, insisting she was already at legal age when they began dating.
He also felt sorry that it went to the extent of denying he dated her, but he claimed he had to do it for the sake of his ongoing drama then, Queen of Tears in March 2024. It was the time Kim saeron posted in her IG story their photo.
Kim Soo-hyun then reflected on the choices he made throughout his career, putting priority of his public persona over his personal feelings. “Whenever there was a situation and the choice for Kim Soo-hyun as a human being and Kim Soo-hyun as a celebrity came up, I think I always chose in favour of the celebrity,” he remarked.
He acknowledged the fact that the public may find it difficult to trust his words regarding his relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron, “I understand that people don’t trust what I say about what happened. But because I only have one chance [to explain this], I would really appreciate it if you would listen to what I have to say.”
Kim offered an apology, acknowledging the pain his actions have caused others. “Firstly, I am sorry. Because of me, I think so many people are suffering. And also I feel sorry that the late actor [Kim Sae-ron] isn’t able to rest in peace.”
He received backlash from netizens over his alleged involvement in putting pressure on the late actress to repay the amount she owed to his agency Gold Medalist in 2023.
According to media reports, Sae-ron received a legal notice from Soo-hyun’s agency Gold Medalist in 2023 demanding payment for damages caused by her in connection with a drink-driving case of 2022.
Denying all such charges, Soo-hyun said, “it is not true that she had made this tragic choice [of committing suicide) because of me or my agency pressuring her over a debt.”
He also slighted her family who asserted it was him who indirectly pushed her to death. “Her family, just because I am the ex-boyfriend of the late actress, is asserting that I pushed her to death. They are demanding me to confess to something that I didn't do.
The 37-year-old actor also expressed his anguish over the alleged false testimony given by Sae-ron’s family, whom he accused of leaking a recorded phone call between the former CEO of Gold Medalist and the CEO of Kim Sae-ron’s agency Management Run.
Kim Soo-hyun addressed the allegations made by Sae-ron's family over a leaked KakaoTalk conversations from 2016, denying it came from his camp. He has requested an analysis of the KakaoTalk chats from 2016 to 2018 to insist his innocence.
Soo-hyun said, “If all the evidence the family holds is true, I hope they can be verified legally after a thorough investigation. I have people that I am responsible for. I am seeing them in pain and agony every day. I am scared what they will reveal today and distort to make me a killer.”
The controversy that Kim Soo-hyun experienced lately came after the Garosero Research Institute, a South Korean YouTube channel, posted a video of Sae-ron’s aunt claiming Soo-hyun dated the late actress for five years.
Kim Sae-ron died by suicide on February 16, 2025, which happened to be Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday.
Our Take Regarding this Controversy
This issue has been blown out of a proportion already. And it's no longer funny. The K-Drama fandom and media channels are pushing Kim Soo-hyun into his grave, so to speak. Is that how they will see this controversy to be resolved? To see another casualty of Korean entertainment's dark culture?
Seeing how this controversy has rolled into the brink of destroying someone's career, exposes the ugly culture of the K-Drama fandom. After so many Korean celebrity deaths over the decades due to cyber bullying, they still never learned lessons. They still continue to torture celebrities.
Analysts are right, the series of celebrity suicides over public pressure and cyber bullying won't never end because there are so many vultures in the K-Drama fandoms, vloggers who are cashing in the lives of K-Drama stars.
These issues involving Kim Soo-hyun are actually the results of how K-drama fandoms are obsessed with K-Drama and K-pop stars, and how spineless Korean vloggers are cashing in the lives of these celebrities.
They are so insensitive they refused to let the soul of Kim Sae-ron rest in peace and continue to drag her into the scene for the sake of money and their obsession. Poor Kim Soo-hyun, hope he can pass this greatest challenge in his career and emerged strong and resilient.
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