New Delhi:
Kim Soo Hyun recently found himself embroiled in a dating controversy after a now-viral video shared on YouTube claimed that he and late actress Kim Sae-Ron were in a relationship.
The video alleged that the actor dated Sae-Ron when she was a minor at the age of 15, while he was 27.
Kim Sae-Ron was found dead at her residence in Seoul on February 16. According to the Seongdong Police, the actress died by suicide.
Despite a back-and-forth of statements and allegations between Kim Soo Hyun and the YouTube channel, Garosero Research Institute, the dispute does not appear to be coming to a close anytime soon. Here’s how the Queen of Tears actor got dragged into Kim Sae-Ron’s death case and dating controversy.
It all started on March 10, when the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, owned by former MBC reporter turned YouTuber Kim Se-Ui, released a video claiming that the late actress Kim Sae-Ron was in a long-term secret relationship with Kim Soo-hyun.
The video featured statements from Sae-Ron’s aunt, who revealed that the late actress started dating Kim Soo-hyun, 27, in 2015. At that time, Sae-Ron was barely 15, while Soo-Hyun was 27 years old.
The video further claimed that Sae-Ron joined Kim Soo-Hyun’s management company, Gold Medalist, in 2019 and chose not to extend her contract with her previous label, YG Entertainment. She gave him free labour, including giving acting classes and directing fresh talent, to help him start the business while they were still dating.
The couple dated for 6 years before Kim Soo-hyun distanced himself from Sae-Ron due to the DUI scandal in May 2022, which significantly impacted her career. Even then, Kim Soo-Hyun and his label, Gold Medalist, helped her handle the situation and paid about $483,000 in damages without asking her to pay the money back.
While Sae-Ron was grateful, she still intended to “work hard so she could pay him back eventually.” However, things took a turn after her contract with Gold Medalist ended. In 2024, the agency sent Sae-Ron a legal notice to pay back the money. When she tried to contact Kim Soo-Hyun, he did not answer her calls.
This was around the same time when Kim Soo-Hyun’s drama Queen of Tears was on air. Sae-Ron, to draw his attention, shared a picture with Soo-Hyun on Instagram.
But the actor and his company remained unreachable and issued an official statement that “negatively painted Kim Sae Ron”.
As per Kim Sae-Ron’s aunt, the actress died by suicide under the pressure of “not being able to pay back $483,000.”
Soon after the video went viral, Gold Medalist issued a strong statement, dismissing the accusations as “baseless and malicious.”
The agency also criticised the Garosero Research Institute YouTube channel for spreading false rumours and threatened to take legal action against them.
The Garosero Research Institute refused to back down and instead mocked the agency in a defiant post. They further dared the agency to file a lawsuit, claiming their sources came directly from Kim Sae-ron’s family.
The controversy deepened when the YouTube channel published additional content allegedly shared by Kim Sae-Ron’s family. Amongst the evidence, there was a text message from Kim Sae-Ron, sent to Soo-hyun on March 19, 2023, in which she begged the actor to give her some time to pay back the money.
Additionally, they revealed a 2016 picture of Kim Soo-hyun kissing a then minor, Kim Sae-ron, on the cheek.
In the wake of the events, Kim Soo-Hyun’s controversial remarks from his past media interactions are now going viral on the internet. In one particular remark on marriage, the actor 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.”
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun is currently receiving a wave of backlash on social media, with several brands and television shows declaring that they have cut their ties with the actor until further clarification on the matter.