"They dated when she was a minor" … the late Kim Sae-ron's mother again releases a statement directly refuting Kim Soo-hyun's side
Kim Soo-hyun's side calls it a "false frame" as both sides' lawsuits escalate the battle over the truth
The mother of the late actress Kim Sae-ron reaffirmed the claim that her daughter dated actor Kim Soo-hyun since she was a minor and once again issued an official statement. Since Kim Soo-hyun's side has emphasized that 'the bereaved family's basis is groundless', the two sides' claims are sharply divided and are heading toward an outright clash.
On the 26th, Kim Sae-ron's mother, through Law Firm Buyou lawyer Bu Ji-seok, distributed a statement saying, "After much 고민 I found the courage," and expressed strong regret over Kim Soo-hyun's side's recent YouTube-based media responses. She said, "I had not responded to the media at the recommendation of investigative authorities, but the opposing lawyer has continuously spread false claims through his YouTube channel. I could not remain silent any longer as the truth seemed to be buried," she said. The mother disclosed some of the evidence that claims Kim Sae-ron dated Kim Soo-hyun when she was a minor.
She said, "I hope this press release will be the last," and added, "I hope both sides now stop responding to the media and wait for the investigation results."
■ the bereaved family reveals the "six pieces of evidence" they claimed
In response, Kim Sae-ron's mother released the following "six pieces of material" to rebut and argue that the relationship during her daughter's minority was true.
▲ 1) specific testimonies from acquaintances
One acquaintance said, "Kim Sae-ron dated Kim Soo-hyun when she was a minor," and testified that when visiting Jeju Island, Kim Soo-hyun even saw her to the airport. The acquaintance also explained that the reason Kim Sae-ron changed her cat's names to "Dal" and "Gureum" was because of the drama "The Moon Embracing the Sun," in which Kim Soo-hyun appeared.
▲ 2) a memo written on Sept. 28, 2017
The memo extracted from Kim Sae-ron's electronic device through forensics allegedly contained expressions that imply a romantic relationship, such as "we're not having a hard time" and "if oppa plans to meet me again I can wait."
▲ 3) a KakaoTalk message dated Feb. 22, 2018
In messages said to have been exchanged while returning from leave, emoticons such as "♥" and phrases like "I miss you" and "you're pretty" appear, leading to the rebuttal, "Can you say these are not messages between lovers?"
▲ 4) messages around April 2018
They presented a capture where Kim Sae-ron sent a photo of Kim Soo-hyun saying, "I wanted to show you this," accompanied by a heart emoji as evidence.
▲ 5) a "dakdoritang" photo from June 2018
The bereaved family claimed the photo was "taken at Kim Soo-hyun's house" and argued that because there were only two sets of bowls and soju glasses at the time, it showed that only Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were present then.
▲ 6) a letter Kim Sae-ron could not deliver
The letter contained the phrase, "The time we were together was about five to six years. It was both my first love and my last love," which they said "reveals that Kim Sae-ron dated from when she was a minor."
■ Kim Soo-hyun's side: "dating when she was a minor is false … evidence manipulation is the essence of the case"
Earlier, Kim Soo-hyun's side strongly opposed the bereaved family's claims. Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference and said, "It is not true that we dated when she was a minor," and asserted, "The KakaoTalk messages from 2016 and 2018 were not sent by me."
He also drew a line by saying the relationship began "in the summer of 2019 after I became an adult," and at the same time disclosed that during the same period Kim Soo-hyun was dating actor A, a former idol, from 2016 to 2019.
Kim Soo-hyun's legal representative, lawyer Ko Sang-rok, said, "The essence of this case is evidence manipulation," and argued, "The false frame has spread through domestic and international media, damaging the actor's reputation as well as having a serious adverse effect on the Hallyu industry." He pointed out, "Photos from after adulthood were presented as evidence from when she was a minor, and letters from military service were made to look like love letters."
He also urged the bereaved family, saying, "Clearly present the basis for concluding that the other party in the 2016 and 2018 KakaoTalk conversations is Kim Soo-hyun," and added, "If you are truly confident, you should submit the entire group chat at the time to investigative authorities."
Currently, Kim Soo-hyun's side has filed defamation and damages suits against the bereaved family and YouTubers. In turn, Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family has countersued Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act and for false accusation, continuing the dispute. While the investigation is underway, both sides' statements, evidence disclosures and YouTube remarks overlap, intensifying the public relations battle. Fans and the public are also urging speedier announcement of investigation results, saying, "The pointless back-and-forth must stop."
[Photo] Provided by the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae-ron, OSEN DB
[OSEN]