Kim Soo Hyun has been accused of being in a past romantic relationship with the late Kim Sae Ron. In response, Kim Soo Hyun’s team has stated that these claims are “completely unfounded” and has announced plans for legal action.
Kim Sae Ron’s aunt claimed in an October 10th interview with the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute that Kim Sae Ron began dating Kim Soo Hyun in 2014 when she was in the second year of middle school.
According to the family member, Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun were in a relationship for six years, during which she transitioned from YG Entertainment to the newly established agency Gold Medalist at Kim Soo Hyun’s suggestion in 2020. Gold Medalist was co-founded by Kim Soo Hyun and his cousin Lee Ro Be.
Kim Sae Ron’s aunt expressed concerns that Kim Sae Ron did not receive adequate protection from either her agency or Kim Soo Hyun. Notably, Kim Sae Ron was involved in a drunk driving incident in May 2022, and she faced a damage claim of approximately 20 billion KRW ($13.7 million). She alleged that the agency accepted the claim amount without proper review.
She added that Kim Sae Ron borrowed 700 million KRW ($480,000) from Kim Soo Hyun to resolve the issue. However, as her TV and film activities ceased, she faced difficulties repaying the debt and received a notice demanding repayment from both Kim Soo Hyun and her agency.
>> Late Star Kim Sae Ron Faced $490K Debt to Former Agency Before Passing
She stated, “Sae Ron broke down in tears upon receiving the notice. She contacted people around her to borrow money, but no one responded. All her fellow actors cut off contact, including those she was close to.” This led her to post pictures with Kim Soo Hyun on social media.
She continued, “Initially, Sae Ron was grateful to Kim Soo Hyun for lending her money and never pressuring her about repayment. However, after receiving the notice, she wondered, “Would he know about this?” and suspected that it might have been sent by his cousin, Lee Ro Be.”
All of this information was also revealed through writings by Kim Sae Ron, which were obtained by Garosero Research Institute from her family. The writings are reported to have been composed on March 24, 2024. Below is the full text of Kim Sae Ron’s statement.
“Hello, this is Kim Sae Ron. First and foremost, I would like to apologize to everyone who has been affected and confused due to my negligence, as well as to those involved in my acting projects. I must clarify that the rumors of a romantic relationship that have been reported are not unfounded and are, in fact, true.
As someone who has been acting since birth, I was exploring new agencies before renewing my contract with my former company. I suddenly decided to sign with Golden Medalist without properly considering the contract terms while discussing options with my ex-boyfriend’s agency. I took on tasks like rookie casting and visual directing but did not receive fair compensation for my work.
I signed a renewal agreement with monetary lending as a condition unlike my previous agency’s contract renewal. I reached out to both my agency and Kim Soo Hyun when the time came to renew, but all communication was cut off. Then I received a threatening letter stating that the renewal period had not been honored.
As a result, my exclusive contract with Golden Medalist ended in May 2022. I sincerely apologize to the drama staff, crew members, fellow actors, writers, and directors who were affected by this situation.
However, I find it contradictory that Golden Medalist claims they ‘do not understand the intentions’ behind my actions. I hope they will take responsibility for their mistakes and the damages I suffered while at the company. As an actress whose life is constantly in the public eye, I believe it is important to share the truth, which is why I am making this statement.”
In response, Gold Medalist issued a statement saying, “Garosero Research Institute has made numerous malicious claims about us and Kim Soo Hyun.” The agency emphasized, “These are all false claims that are absolutely intolerable, and we are considering the strongest possible legal action against the dissemination of false information by Garosero Research Institute.”
They added, “We feel deep sorrow at the news of the passing of Kim Sae Ron, who once worked with us, and we mourn her loss. However, Garosero Research Institute is merely defaming both our agency and the deceased for their own benefit. We will respond to this firmly.”
In response, Garosero Research Institute hit back, stating that their video was based on materials and interviews obtained directly from Kim Sae Ron’s family.
Addressing Kim Soo Hyun’s legal action against their claims, they responded, “Go ahead and sue the bereaved family too. The comments on the article speak for themselves. Tomorrow, someone will file a police complaint against you for molesting a minor,” they reported.
They also questioned, “Why didn’t you attend Kim Sae Ron’s funeral when even Won Bin was there? The least you could have done was show some basic human decency.”
>> Won Bin, Cha Eun Woo, IU and More Mourn Kim Sae Ron; Family Prepares Legal Action
