At exactly 4:30 PM KST on March 31st, Kim Soo Hyun held a press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Sangam, Seoul alongside Gold Medalist to announce his position on the current controversy and allegations of dating the late actress Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor.
Due to the allegations of the underage relationship and inappropriate messages exchanged during their dating period, Kim Soo Hyun has faced criticism across the board, lost endorsement deals, and continues to face backlash from the public alongside recurring allegations and evidence from Garosero Research Institute, also known as HoverLab Inc.
With tears in his eyes, Kim Soo Hyun said, “I feel sorry that the deceased cannot rest in peace. I think so many people are suffering because of that one person, and I’m sorry.” He further stated, “Every time my private life and that of the deceased were exposed, I kept thinking, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow- let me talk about it myself and put an end to this hellish situation.’ But every time I hesitated. I wondered what kind of impact my decision would have on those around me and if speaking out would make me and everyone else look bad.”
Kim Soo Hyun denied the allegations of dating Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor. “The deceased and I dated for a year over five years ago. This was four years before Queen of Tears was aired. However, I denied the relationship at the time.” After denying the rumors again, Kim Soo Hyun continued, “I think it is natural for others to criticize these facts, and I understand if you don’t believe the things that happened between me and the deceased (Kim Sae Ron). However, I only have one chance to speak here, so please listen to my story just this once.”
Kim Soo Hyun claimed he denied the dating rumors for the sake of the drama’s success. However, he adamantly stated he would have done the same thing if the situation arose again. “I was afraid that the relationship rumors would come back to me as poison.” He began feeling choked up and shedding tears. “That YouTube channel used my 2016 Kakao Talk comments as evidence to frame me as a pedophile and a groomer of minors. Whenever the choices of Kim Soo Hyun the human and Kim Soo Hyun the star were at an impasse, I always made choices as and for the star Kim Soo Hyun.
The discussion about the legal notice demanding payment from Kim Sae Ron was also addressed. Kim Soo Hyun claimed those documents were sent as a standard legal procedure and not to pressure Kim Sae Ron. Kim Soo Hyun further stated that the Kakao Talk messages revealed by Kim Sae Ron’s family and Garosero Research Institute were all fake and fabricated. “I had the messages thoroughly investigated by a verification agency, and they concluded that the reliability of evidence is low.”
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He further claimed that at the time, Kim Sae Ron was seeing someone else and he kept his distance since she was having a hard time. Kim Soo Hyun even released a phone call recording between the former Gold Medalist CEO Byun Jin Ho and CEO Ko Seung Ah of Run Entertainment (Kim Sae Ron’s previous agency). They stated, “We have no choice but to send the collection notice due to administrative procedures. If I don’t send it, it will be considered a dereliction of duty.
After speaking his side, Kim Soo Hyun revealed he will be taking affirmative action regarding the allegations from both Kim Sae Ron’s family and Garo Sero Institute. Kim Soo Hyun’s lawyer said they have filed a police complaint against Garo Sero Institute, Kim Sae Ron’s family, and Kim Sae Ron’s aunt. Kim Soo Hyun additionally filed a lawsuit with the Seoul District Court seeking a total of 12 billion KRW in damages.
Now, the press and the world are awaiting what will possibly come from the results of this press conference. Will Kim Soo Hyun’s claims be proven true, and will he be shown leniency, or do Garosero Research Institute and Kim Sae Ron’s family have more evidence to prove and back up their claims? Stay tuned for their responses and more updates.
