Actor late Kim Sae-ron's family addressed the media, refuting the statement from Kim Soo-hyun's side, while Kim Soo-hyun's side remains silent. As the time of silence lengthens, public opinion worsens; will Kim Soo-hyun issue a new statement?

On the afternoon of the 17th, attorney Bujiseok of the law firm Buyu, representing the late Kim Sae-ron's family, held a press conference in front of the Seoul Police Agency to convey the family's position.

Earlier, the late Kim Sae-ron's family claimed through the YouTube channel "Garo-Setro Research Institute" (hereinafter referred to as "Gaseyeon") that actor Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron for six years since they were 15, and claimed that despite the late Kim facing financial difficulties following the drunk driving accident in 2022, they pressured her to repay 700 million won borrowed for accident recovery.

In response, Kim Soo-hyun's agency Gold Medalist stated, "This is a blatant falsehood that cannot be overlooked," and noted, "We are considering the most robust legal response available against the falsehood spread by Garo-Setro Research Institute," but later changed their statement to acknowledge the relationship, saying they dated from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after Kim Sae-ron had turned 18.

Regarding the repayment of 700 million won, they stated, "If we arbitrarily take on the penalties that Kim Sae-ron should bear, there is a risk that the executives who made that decision could be charged with embezzlement, and there were concerns that those expenses would not be recognized as deductible corporate costs," adding, "It should be confirmed that efforts were made to secure the company's claims against Kim Sae-ron."

However, they emphasized that the 700 million won repayment is unrelated to Kim Soo-hyun, stating, "The debt issues of Kim Sae-ron are solely matters between Gold Medalist and Kim Sae-ron."

At the press conference, attorney Bujiseok said, "We want to discuss matters related to Kim Soo-hyun. The family only hoped to have Kim Soo-hyun acknowledge the relationship since they needed that acknowledgment to sue YouTuber A for spreading falsehoods. However, the false statement from Kim Soo-hyun's side made it harder for the family, and we hope they offer a sincere apology, even now."

He continued, "After the agency sent the first notification, Kim Sae-ron sent a text to Kim Soo-hyun saying 'Help me.' In response, Kim Soo-hyun sent a second notification. To briefly explain the contents of the second notification: while it was mentioned that 'it cannot be helped due to the embezzlement charge,' this message essentially urged her to repay the debt within a limited time," asserting, "They also threatened to take legal action regarding the act of posting photos and instructed not to contact Kim Soo-hyun and the affiliated actors directly."

He further explained, "In reality, there has been no contact from Kim Soo-hyun since the second notification, and there was no contact from other actors at the agency, who originally communicated with her. It is hard to imagine what kind of mental distress the late Kim faced upon receiving such notifications during her lifetime. I do not understand why they are now waiting for a call from the family through a public statement. We are considering legal action against Kim Soo-hyun's side in the future."

According to the legal representative, Kim Sae-ron received a notification from Gold Medalist demanding repayment of 700 million won on March 19 of last year and reached out to Kim Soo-hyun saying, 'Help me,' but received no response. The next day, after Kim Sae-ron deleted photos of herself with Kim Soo-hyun from social media, she reportedly received another notification from Gold Medalist's lawyer. However, this notification allegedly contained threats related to both the repayment of 700 million won and the act of posting photos.

Following the press conference by Kim Sae-ron's side, Kim Soo-hyun's side has not issued any significant statements. Notably, Kim Soo-hyun has not made a direct comment on this situation, so attention is on whether he will finally speak out.

[Photo] OSEN DB

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