A month after the passing of actress Kim Sae-ron, the aftershocks are still ongoing. The claim by the bereaved family that she "dated from the age of 15" has brought the relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun back into the spotlight. Kim Soo-hyun's side has stated that it is "false information." If it is false information, it seems essential to firmly block the rumor for both the deceased and Kim Soo-hyun. Given that Kim Soo-hyun is a Hallyu star, there is also intense attention from Asian netizens, including those on Chinese social media.
The YouTube channel known as Garosero Institute posted content titled "Kim Soo-hyun who led to Kim Sae-ron's death (dated for 6 years since Kim Sae-ron was 16)" on the afternoon of the 10th, relaying claims from a family member who identified themselves as Kim Sae-ron's aunt. Regardless of the truth of the claims, it has created a considerable shock and has damaged Kim Soo-hyun's image.
In response, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, immediately issued an official stance, rebutting that "the claims made by Garosero Institute regarding actor Kim Soo-hyun through their YouTube broadcast are clearly false information."
Kim Soo-hyun's side stated, "Garosero Institute has made numerous malicious assertions that we, along with Kim Soo-hyun, conspired with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho to harass the late Kim Sae-ron, that Kim Sae-ron dated Kim Soo-hyun from the age of 15, that the agency's response at the time of Kim Sae-ron's drunk driving incident was inappropriate, and that a manager from our agency has a close relationship with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho. All of these are false information that cannot be overlooked, and we are reviewing the strongest legal response we can take against Garosero Institute's spread of false information."
They added, "We feel deep sorrow upon hearing the news of the passing of Kim Sae-ron, who once worked with us, and we mourn her. However, the spread of false information by Garosero Institute replicates the behavior of what is called 'cyber bullying' that the deceased suffered so much from during her life, and it not only damages our agency but also the dignity of the deceased. We will respond strictly to this."
Finally, Kim Soo-hyun's side emphasized, "We earnestly request that worthless false information not be spread, expanded, or reproduced any further."
Previously, on March 24 last year, Kim Sae-ron posted a photo on her social media in which she was closely cuddling with Kim Soo-hyun, sparking romance rumors. Afterward, Kim Sae-ron deleted the photo within three minutes, but it had already circulated through social media and online communities, leading to various speculations.
At that time, Kim Soo-hyun's agency stated that it was "baseless," adding that the photo seemed to have been taken when they were at the same agency in the past, and they could not understand Kim Sae-ron's intentions for such behavior. They said, "Because of this photo, unnecessary misunderstandings and baseless conjectures about the actor are rampant, and we will respond strongly to any malicious slander and derogatory posts that damage the actor's integrity and reputation."
Ultimately, at that time, thanks to Kim Soo-hyun's swift response, the romance rumors were dismissed as untrue. However, following the claims from the late Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family, past romance rumors have gained renewed attention. Furthermore, the fact that the day of Kim Sae-ron's death coincided with Kim Soo-hyun's birthday, and that Kim Soo-hyun did not visit the deceased's funeral home, have led to ongoing speculations.
Moreover, there have been situations uncovering that Kim Soo-hyun made a statement during the showcase of the movie "Secretly Greatly" saying he wanted to "marry a 21-year-old bride around the age of 41." As Kim Soo-hyun emphasized that these are "worthless false information," there seems to be a need for clear action to protect the honor of both the deceased and Kim Soo-hyun.
Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongdong District, Seoul, on the 16th of last month. She was 25 years old. At that time, a friend of the deceased discovered Kim Sae-ron collapsed and reported it. Police are treating the case as a death by suicide.
[Photo] OSEN DB, SNS
[OSEN = Seon Mi-kyung, reporter]