The family of deceased actor Kim Sae-ron filed a lawsuit against YouTuber A, who defamed the deceased by posting videos about her.
Lawyer Bujiseok from the law firm Buyu, representing the family of Kim Sae-ron, appeared at the Korean National Police Agency at 2 p.m. on the 17th to submit a complaint against YouTuber A.
On that day, lawyer Bujiseok held a press conference in front of the Korean National Police Agency with Professor Kwon Young-chan, the family's representative, and Kim Se-yi, the head of the 'Garo-Saro Research Institute,' to convey the family's position.
Earlier, the family of deceased Kim Sae-ron caused a stir by revealing that she had been dating Kim Soo-hyun for six years since she was 15 years old through the 'Garo-Saro Research Institute' and disclosed intimate photos. Additionally, her agency, Gold Medalist, pressured the family by sending a certificate of content regarding a compensation amount of 700 million won due to Kim Sae-ron's drunk driving incident and released messages she sent to Kim Soo-hyun, such as 'Please save me' and 'Give me some time.'
Regarding this, lawyer Bujiseok stated, 'Honestly, I want to apply a murder charge (against A), but as you all know, defamation is not equivalent to murder, so I hope that those points are sufficiently reflected in the sentencing and that strict punishment is carried out. To explain Kim Sae-ron's posting of pictures with Kim Soo-hyun, after receiving the certificate of content, she was suffering from extreme pain and sent messages asking to be saved. After not receiving a reply, she thought that posting pictures from the past might prompt a response, so she posted about three vintage photos, but YouTuber A turned that into a bizarre narrative, calling her manipulative and a self-centered lover, leaving the family with no choice but to proceed with the lawsuit.'
He emphasized, 'Furthermore, the family has no choice but to disclose the dating facts with Kim Soo-hyun to prove A's falsehoods, and for that, I ask for your understanding that we have no choice but to publicly share past relationship photos. Additionally, in relation to the investigation, A has been deleting her videos since the deceased's passing. This clearly constitutes evidence destruction, and we urge a search and seizure along with arrest investigation.'
Regarding Kim Soo-hyun, he stated, 'The family merely hoped to have Kim Soo-hyun acknowledge the dating facts to proceed with the defamation lawsuit against A. However, the false statements from Kim Soo-hyun's side have only made it more difficult for the family, and we hope for a sincere apology even now.' He added, 'After the first certificate of content was sent, Kim Sae-ron texted Kim Soo-hyun asking to be saved. In response, Kim Soo-hyun sent a second certificate of content. Briefly summarizing the content of the second certificate, while mentioning that it corresponds to 'breach of trust,' it essentially stated that they would accept repayment of the debt if the duration was shortened. Furthermore, it stated that Kim Soo-hyun and the agency had prohibited direct contact with the actors and threatened legal action regarding the act of posting pictures.'
He continued, 'In fact, following the second certificate, there was not a single instance of contact from Kim Soo-hyun, and we could not get in touch with another actor from the agency. Considering this, it's hard for me to imagine the mental anguish that the deceased must have experienced upon receiving such certificates. I cannot understand why they are now awaiting the family's contact through a public statement. We are currently contemplating legal action against Kim Soo-hyun.'
Professor Kwon Young-chan stated, 'We have seen all the cleaning photos from the start. We had no intention of making things public. However, in a video posted by A, she claimed that we were fabricating, saying the agency's claims were baseless. We were not trying to expose anything; we attempted to communicate with the agency, but we could not contact Kim Soo-hyun or the representative, nor could we reach any of the agency's actors. We were ostracized. After much deliberation, we posted the photos, and within minutes, we received a call offering to resolve it, so we took them down. We tried to manage the situation, but importantly, the next day, the second certificate of content was sent. There had been none before that. Sae-ron was going to move on February 18, but she ended her life before the move. The moving boxes were in a warehouse. Her mother was bedridden and unable to assist, so her aunt helped bring the boxes to the house with her children. The following night, while unpacking, the second certificate of content arrived.'
He spoke about the contents of the second certificate, saying, 'In the future, if you post such photos on SNS, or contact anyone from the agency, or if the 'Queen of Tears' incurs any damages due to such photos, we will ensure full restitution.' He added, 'But did they say that they paid back the 700 million won? They clearly showed documents stating the losses had been processed. So who was planning to take that 700 million won? Of course, for Kim Sae-ron, that was unimaginable money. However, for someone else, it could be considered a benefit provided to the agency. They even threatened that if it was not sent to this bank account shortly, they would file a lawsuit.'
Furthermore, he noted, 'Kim Soo-hyun claims they weren't dating, yet recently acknowledged that they were dating. Does it make sense that they started seeing each other only after they became adults? We have seen all the photos. Kim Soo-hyun sent photos that only the two of them could keep to Kim Sae-ron, which her family possesses. While we intended for that to be used only for police records to avoid external leakage in order to catch cyber stalkers, I don't understand how it ended up like this.'
Professor Kwon Young-chan lamented, 'Until the end, Kim Sae-ron tried to protect Kim Soo-hyun. She consulted her mother, asking, 'Mom, what should I do if something like this happens?' I wonder whether we should do a forensic examination. What’s worse is the testimony from her younger sibling. Kim Soo-hyun's side suggested using Telegram instead of KakaoTalk. Of course, as a Hallyu star, that could be the case.' He further added, 'Kim Sae-ron confessed and sought counsel from her aunt whenever she felt troubled, wanting to spare her mother and father from burden. However, disturbing the family was a mistake. Right now, her mother is bedridden and emaciated. At such a time, her aunt has been helping with the moving and taking care of her mother. When a child makes such a choice, many mimic it around the parents. To prevent this, the father is also trying hard, and the aunt is assigned to handle it. Yet, when a closer relationship is suggested over a relative, it implies a lack of sincerity, and that infuriated me. For 20 years, it was the aunt who took responsibility for Sae-ron since she was a baby. Certificates of content can be significant, and while 700 million won can be a large sum, don’t disturb the family.'
In particular, regarding the agency's statement that 'Our management would like to meet the mother and provide a full explanation. Please contact Gold Medalist's office any time,' Kim Se-yi remarked, 'Professor Kwon Young-chan provided us with the recorded phone and text conversations with Kim Sae-ron's father. There were eight text messages and four attempts at phone calls. This has happened recently, starting last Friday. In a way, while Kim Sae-ron was trying to say, 'Please save me,' there was no contact at all, and the second certificate of content discovered this morning contained a statement instructing not to contact them; now, suddenly cornered, they are texting the father and publicly asking the mother to contact them. This is also an insult to Kim Sae-ron. There must have been an embarrassing situation if they’re asking for a private meeting. Making such a request implies that Kim Sae-ron had a shameful past. The bereaved family is also feeling angry; Kim Sae-ron has never committed a shameful act. How could she not write the exact dates? She specified that she dated from November 2015 for six years. I believe it is very unjust that they have been silent up until now, only to reach out now.'
Lawyer Bujiseok expressed, 'We do not know how Kim Soo-hyun and the deceased parted ways; only Kim Soo-hyun might know. However, judging from the messages the deceased sent to Kim Soo-hyun asking to be saved, it can be inferred they likely did not break up after a major dispute. However, given that they were romantically involved and a significant event occurred, instead of providing support, they pushed the deceased away; imagining the deceased's feelings upon receiving a threatening second certificate would be appreciated.'
Additionally, Kim Se-yi indicated, 'This is the first press conference, and I plan to hold more in the future. Today's focus is on A, and we will soon conduct a press conference about the second certificate of content and the lawsuit against Kim Soo-hyun,' revealing plans for legal action against Kim Soo-hyun as well. However, regarding what charges will be pressed against Kim Soo-hyun, lawyer Bujiseok commented, 'We are considering various aspects, including the certificate of content. I will refrain from commenting on that.'
[Photo] OSEN DB
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