Actress and late Kim Sae-ron's mother has finally spoken out. She stated that her daughter never lied about working part-time at a café and that she experienced collective bullying from the public, expressing a desire for restoration of honor.
On the 14th, the 'Garoseoro Research Center' (hereinafter 'Gaseyeon') announced a statement purportedly sent by Kim Sae-ron's family, including her mother. The 'Gaseyeon' team noted that Kim Sae-ron's mother did not wish to reveal her voice, so they released her statement using AI voice technology.
Kim Sae-ron's mother raised her voice, saying, "Sae-ron has never lied to the media. She has never pretended to work part-time through falsehoods, nor was she a girl who only enjoyed nights out with friends. She did not provoke dating rumors through manipulated photos. However, Jin-ho Lee and the cyberbullies created false articles that dragged a normal and promising young actress and her family into hell. Furthermore, the Golden Medalist branded Sae-ron as a mentally unstable girl who lied about the intentions behind the photos she posted. Now that Sae-ron is gone, an incredible number of false articles unworthy of being seen or read are emerging, claiming she was a breadwinner for her family and suggesting that hundreds of billions earned have been squandered by her family."
She continued, "It is Jin-ho Lee and the cyberbullies who trampled and kicked the collapsed girl, then lifted her up only to throw her again. There were many irresponsible media outlets spreading the writings created by Jin-ho Lee and the cyberbullies without knowing the facts, along with various malicious commenters who supported them. Sae-ron has endured like this, upright, for three years, without sleeping 24 hours a day, all alone. This is akin to Sae-ron being collectively bullied by the entire nation due to the false articles triggered by Jin-ho."
She added, "If Professor Kwon Young-chan from the Suicide Prevention Association of Korean Celebrities had not reached out and asked for assistance, and if Kim Se-yi from Gaseyeon had not extended a hand, our family would have become a scapegoat for Jin-ho Lee and cyberbullies, living with a lifelong grievance carrying the defamed honor of Sae-ron in people’s minds."
Lastly, she stated, "The actions of Jin-ho Lee and those like him are crimes. It is difficult to hold them accountable for murder within the confines of law, which cannot keep pace with the changing world. We, the bereaved family, only hope that the honor Sae-ron had as an actress during her lifetime will be fully restored, that the false articles that are entirely contrary to the facts will be corrected, and that the media will be provided with legal and institutional measures to ensure they fulfill their responsibility and mission to prevent such occurrences in the future."
Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 16th of last month. She was 25 years old. It is reported that a friend of the deceased, who had a prior appointment to meet, discovered her collapsed at home and reported it. The police stated that no signs of external intrusion or evidence of foul play were found.
In related news, the 'Gaseyeon' team raised suspicions of 'grooming crimes,' alleging that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron since her minor years. Additionally, they claimed that Kim Soo-hyun's management agency, Golden Medalist, pressured Kim Sae-ron by sending a letter of demand for 700 million won in damages while Kim Soo-hyun neglected the matter.
In response, the Golden Medalist team issued an emergency statement on the 14th, asserting that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019, when Kim Sae-ron was an adult, until the fall of 2020, denying the related allegations. They also refuted that the letter of demand was merely a part of the legal process for handling the agency's claims due to Kim Sae-ron's drunk driving accident, and that they had not urged repayment.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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