On the day actor Kim Soo-hyun once again drew a line regarding allegations of underage dating related to the late Kim Sae-ron, the deceased's close friends recalled memories and set out on a pilgrimage.
Ga Sang-rok, a lawyer at the law firm Phil and legal representative of Kim Soo-hyun, said on his YouTube channel and blog, "The claim that Kim Soo-hyun maintained a romantic relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron for six years starting when she was a middle school student and engaged in perverted pedophilic behavior is a falsehood with no factual basis."
The lawyer said, "I reviewed all the materials. I looked at the diary Kim Soo-hyun wrote during his military service; he began recording small daily events and then wrote records about a lover. There are materials showing that he would take that diary-like letter out on leave, show it to his partner and interact," and expressed the position that Kim Soo-hyun was not the late Kim Sae-ron's romantic partner during his military service.
Ga Sang-rok argued that all published photos and objective materials consistently show the two people's relationship began in the summer of 2019 and ended the following spring. He pointed out that Kim Sae-ron was already a college freshman and an adult at the time, and if, as some have claimed, they dated for a long period of six years, it would be hard to explain why there are no photos from other periods besides those taken after she became an adult. He said the postcard Kim Soo-hyun sent in November 2019 also used typical expressions between newly dating partners, such as "I will nag you and pay attention from now on" and "even if we fight, I will be the first to say sorry."
Regarding the skinship photos of the late Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun released by the bereaved family, he noted, "All were taken during the deceased's adult years, between December 2019 (Kim Sae-ron's first year of college) and the following spring, when the two were actually dating. There are numerous photos concentrated in the actual dating period, but if they had dated for six years since middle school, it would be difficult to explain why, over such a long time, there is not a single photo from other periods besides these."
Ga Sang-rok, who said Kim Soo-hyun had an actual romantic partner from 2016 to the spring of 2019, pointed to the late Kim Sae-ron's statement as the origin of the problem. He referred to the part where a photo showing skinship with Kim Soo-hyun was released during the broadcast of "Queen of Tears," saying, "Upon rechecking the facts, the image was actually taken at the end of February 2020, when the deceased would have been a college sophomore," and added, "The draft of the statement, which appears to have been prepared with someone's help, contained a grave and clear falsehood claiming that the photo was taken in 2016 (her first year of high school)."
The lawyer added that in the statement the late Kim Sae-ron prepared, "Although the 12-year age difference between the deceased and the actor is an objective and unchanging fact, the draft stated, 'I was 16 years old, and the other person was 30 years old,' thereby recording a self-contradictory fact and portraying the actor in the most malicious way possible."
Ga Sang-rok warned, "The harm the actor is currently experiencing stems from organized and malicious cybercrime. Cyber wrecker crimes are systematized to a degree comparable to organized violence in the digital age and cause serious social harm."
While Kim Soo-hyun's side drew a line on allegations of the late Kim Sae-ron's underage romance, the deceased's close friends AKMU's Lee Su-hyun and actress Kim Bo-ra recalled memories and set out on the Santiago pilgrimage.
The Santiago pilgrimage collectively refers to the various routes toward the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain's Galicia region, where the tomb of Saint James, one of Jesus' twelve apostles, is located. Because it carries religious meaning, as well as implications of reflection and healing, cultural and personal exploration, it is more than a simple walking trip and contains deep history and diverse meanings.
On that day Lee Su-hyun showed scenes of going to a mart with Kim Bo-ra and replenishing sugar by eating ice cream. On her second pilgrimage, her confident appearance lasted only on the first day; from the next day she drew laughs with an expression and look as if her soul had left her. She also showed that the pilgrimage was no ordinary walk, creating a sense of empathy.
Lee Su-hyun and Kim Bo-ra were especially close to the late Kim Sae-ron. Lee Su-hyun said she and the late Kim Sae-ron and Kim Bo-ra often met without arrangements and even shared house passwords in their group chat. Kim Bo-ra left a comment on Lee Su-hyun's post saying, "I love you and I remember," conveying that she cherishes both current and past bonds. That line evoked memories of the late Kim Sae-ron and created a sense of sorrow.
Currently, Kim Soo-hyun's side has launched formal legal battles by suing the bereaved family and YouTubers for defamation and damages, and the late Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family has countersued Kim Soo-hyun on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act and false accusation, continuing the dispute over the truth. It has been seven months since the deceased passed away. Kim Soo-hyun drew a line, and the close friends silently walked the path while remembering her.
[OSEN]