The late Kim Sae-ron's relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun has led to sharp conflicts with the bereaved family. Meanwhile, as Kim Soo-hyun's nude photos released by the bereaved family spread, public debates also arose.
On the 15th, the YouTube channel "Garoseoro Research Institute" (hereinafter "Gasaeon") stated, "The late Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family insists they cannot accept this," and released the nude photos of Kim Soo-hyun they received from the bereaved family. The photos depict a Namsung doing the dishes at what appears to be the late Kim Sae-ron's home. The Gasaeon group emphasized that the photos showed him "not wearing pants."
Until now, Gasaeon had claimed that based on tips from the late Kim Sae-ron's family, Kim Soo-hyun had been in a romantic relationship for over six years since the age of 15 when Kim Sae-ron was a minor. They also released photos of Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun showing physical affection, as well as text messages in which Kim Sae-ron pleaded with Kim Soo-hyun, saying, "Do we really need to go to court? Please help me," and "I'm asking you to give me some time," related to a 700 million won compensation claim she received from her agency during her drunk driving incident.
As allegations of Kim Soo-hyun's "grooming crime" surfaced, his agency, Gold Medalist, stated, "These are clear falsehoods" and added that they are considering taking the strongest legal action possible against the fabrication of false information by the Garoseoro Research Institute.
However, even after that, Gasaeon released letters that they claimed Kim Soo-hyun sent to Kim Sae-ron during his military service, while Kim Soo-hyun's agency issued a subsequent statement rebutting, "Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron dated from the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae-ron became an adult, until the fall of 2020." The letters were also explained as "one of the letters sent to close acquaintances."
Regarding the 700 million won compensation claim, they stated, "If our company were to arbitrarily bear the penalty that Kim Sae-ron should be responsible for, this could create a possibility of our executives being liable for breach of trust, and there was a concern that these expenses would not be recognized as tax-deductible by the company," adding, "It had to be confirmed that we made efforts to secure our claims against Kim Sae-ron," emphasizing that the debt issue with Kim Sae-ron is solely a matter between Gold Medalist and Kim Sae-ron.
They continued, "We must endure the reactions to Kim Soo-hyun's personal life, which has been revealed so far and may be revealed in the future. However, is it acceptable for a private matter between two adults to be disclosed without their consent, and do we have to endure all of this because of the unauthorized disclosure of private life?"
After the agency's stance was disclosed, the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae-ron explained through Gasaeon, "Our goal is to restore the honor of a child who has been shattered in an instant by numerous false articles." In response, the agency issued an additional statement saying, "We deeply empathize with the concerns raised by the mother regarding various reporting behaviors about the deceased. However, there are aspects of her claims that differ from our thoughts. We believe it is inappropriate to publicly debate this, which both the mother and the deceased were trying to find any method to restore the deceased's honor." They added, "Our management would like to meet with you to provide a thorough explanation. Please feel free to contact the Gold Medalist office at any time."
In response, Gasaeon revealed that they had initially said, "The bereaved family earnestly requested not to disclose this," regarding Kim Soo-hyun's nude photos, but later announced they had "obtained the bereaved family's consent" to disclose them. They also conveyed that "the bereaved family has become even more enraged."
The bereaved family stated, "We want Kim Soo-hyun to acknowledge that he dated Kim Sae-ron since her minor years and hope for a formal apology," and "We expect a formal apology regarding the agency Gold Medalist's claims over the past three years that there has been no relationship, as well as the statement made just three days ago that he never dated her." They continued, "We ask that the contributions Kim Sae-ron made as a founding member of the company be recognized, and we request an apology regarding that matter," and "We hope for a formal apology regarding the letter of demand for the 700 million won regarding Kim Sae-ron's matter."
Regarding the mention of Kim Soo-hyun, they explained, "It was to warn against cyber wreckers," stating that "the bereaved family desires nothing apart from an official apology from Kim Soo-hyun and his agency. To prove the falsehood claimed by cyber wreckers, we had no choice but to disclose Kim Soo-hyun's photo as we had to indicate that Kim Sae-ron did indeed date him."
In this situation, as both parties maintain a sharp conflict, the public holds divided views on the dissemination of Kim Soo-hyun's nude photos. Some expressed understanding for the bereaved family's position, saying, "It would have been okay if he had admitted it and apologized quickly," and "It's understandable," while others criticized the indiscriminate invasion of personal privacy, saying, "This is not right," "They crossed the line," and "Isn't this illegal distribution?"
Meanwhile, as a result of the controversy, there are signs that the advertising industry is severing ties with Kim Soo-hyun. Brands like Prada and Dinto have terminated contracts with him, while companies like EIDER, Homeplus, and Shab All Day have deleted his photos from their official accounts. However, the MBC entertainment show "Good Day," in which Kim Soo-hyun is currently appearing, stated, "The scheduled events were minimized and proceeded accordingly."
[Photo] OSEN DB
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