Gold Medalist, actor Kim Soo-hyun's agency, reported the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute" and the family of the late Kim Sae-ron.
On the 20th, Gold Medalist stated, "Today, actor Kim Soo-hyun's photo taken while he was not wearing pants was posted by Kim Se-hee, the operator of the YouTube channel 'Garosero Research Institute' (hereinafter referred to as 'Gaseyeon'), which he manages, and provided to Kim Se-hee by the family of the late Kim Sae-ron, and a person claiming to be the aunt of the late Kim Sae-ron, for violations of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes, such as the distribution of filmed materials using cameras, among others."
Gold Medalist's side said, "We are grieving over the death of the late Kim Sae-ron, who was once part of Gold Medalist, and we mourn her loss," adding, "The photo of actor Kim Soo-hyun posted on 'Gaseyeon' is taken when Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron, who was an adult at the time, were in a relationship, and it is a photo that could induce sexual shame for Kim Soo-hyun. This photo should not be made public, nor is there any reason for it to be. Posting it on a YouTube channel is clearly a criminal act, and 'Gaseyeon' is threatening Kim Soo-hyun by insisting that they will continue to release such photos in the future. Therefore, Gold Medalist is unfortunately in a situation where we have no choice but to take strong legal action against such acts. The act of filming the body of another person, which may induce sexual desire or shame, and distributing or openly exhibiting or screening the filmed materials against the subject's will is a serious criminal act, and we hope that such acts will not be repeated again."
Furthermore, they noted, "The false facts spread by the family of the late Kim Sae-ron and 'Gaseyeon' on broadcasts are still spreading in real time on the internet, continuing to propagate baseless rumors. Gold Medalist was refraining from legal action against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron out of a mourning heart for her sudden death. However, the act of distributing the photo of Kim Soo-hyun's body without consent is an extremely serious act that cannot be overlooked, and due to the risk of it being repeated in the future, we have unfortunately proceeded with the complaint against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron. If the family of the late Kim Sae-ron and 'Gaseyeon' continue to spread false facts in the future, Gold Medalist has no choice but to take comprehensive legal action in order to protect the agency and the actor's honor."
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun is currently embroiled in several suspicions surrounding the death of the late Kim Sae-ron. Following the death of the deceased on the 16th, 'Gaseyeon' claimed that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship for six years from 2015 when Kim Sae-ron was a minor until 2021, and that after the deceased caused a drunk driving accident in 2022 and experienced financial difficulties due to a suspension of activities, Kim Soo-hyun pressured her to repay 700 million won that she borrowed to settle the accident.
Kim Soo-hyun's side refuted the claims made by 'Gaseyeon' and the family that they did not date when Kim Sae-ron was a minor and that after treating the entire debt regarding Kim Sae-ron as a loss, he never requested repayment even once. In particular, Kim Soo-hyun's side stated, "We believe that publicly pointing out right and wrong is not appropriate for both the mother of the deceased, who wanted to find some way to restore her honor, and the deceased herself. Our management would like to meet with the mother to provide a sufficient explanation. We would appreciate it if you could contact the Gold Medalist office anytime."
Gold Medalist's position statement
1. Gold Medalist, as the agency managing actor Kim Soo-hyun, has reported operator Kim Se-hee of the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute" (hereinafter "Gaseyeon"), which posted a photo of actor Kim Soo-hyun taken while he was not wearing pants on a live broadcast on his own managed YouTube channel, as well as the family of the late Kim Sae-ron and an unidentified person claiming to be the late actress's aunt, for violations of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes, such as the distribution of filmed materials using cameras.
2. As previously mentioned, Gold Medalist mourns the death of the late Kim Sae-ron, who once was part of Gold Medalist. However, the photo of actor Kim Soo-hyun posted by 'Gaseyeon' is a photo taken when Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron, who was an adult at the time, were in a relationship, and it is a photo that could induce sexual shame for Kim Soo-hyun. This photo should not be made public, nor is there any reason for it to be. Posting it on a YouTube channel is clearly a criminal act, and 'Gaseyeon' is threatening Kim Soo-hyun by insisting that they will continue to release such photos in the future. Therefore, Gold Medalist is unfortunately in a situation where we have no choice but to take strong legal action against such acts. The act of filming the body of another person, which may induce sexual desire or shame, and distributing or openly exhibiting or screening the filmed materials against the subject's will is a serious criminal act, and we hope that such acts will not be repeated again.
3. Additionally, the false facts spread by the family of the late Kim Sae-ron and 'Gaseyeon' on broadcasts are still spreading in real time on the internet and continue to propagate baseless rumors. Gold Medalist has been refraining from legal action against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron out of a mourning heart for her sudden death. However, the act of distributing the photo of Kim Soo-hyun's body without consent is an extremely serious act that cannot be overlooked, and due to the risk of it being repeated in the future, we have unfortunately proceeded with the complaint against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron. If the family of the late Kim Sae-ron and 'Gaseyeon' continue to spread false facts in the future, Gold Medalist has no choice but to take comprehensive legal action in order to protect the agency and the actor's honor.
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