A year has passed since the death of the late Kim Sae-ron. However, even after her death, disputes over the truth continue regarding her relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun.
The late Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, Seoul, in February last year. She was 24. No suicide note was found at the scene, and police said their investigation did not find signs of external intrusion or other indications of a crime.
The late Kim Sae-ron, who debuted in the entertainment industry in 2001 as a magazine cover model, began her child actor career in 2009 by appearing in the film Traveler. Later, the late Kim Sae-ron, who made an impression in films such as The Man from Nowhere and Dohee-ya, drew attention as the youngest South Korean actor to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. Despite her young age, she received praise from domestic and international media for her outstanding acting and earned the title "child prodigy," winning multiple best new actress awards at the youngest eligible ages.
In addition, the late Kim Sae-ron, who appeared in dramas such as "Can You Hear My Heart," "What Is Mom," "The Queen's Classroom," "High School Love On," "Temptation of a Glamorous Woman," "Snowy Road," and "Love Playlist season 4," became embroiled in a drunk driving controversy in 2022 and suspended her activities entirely. At the time, she caused an accident in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, repeatedly hitting guardrails, roadside trees and a transformer while driving under the influence, and a blood test reportedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2%, far above the license suspension level of 0.08%.
After apologizing, the late Kim Sae-ron took a period of self-reflection, but public opinion turned cold, and her plan to return through the play Dongchimi also fell through. Ultimately, the late Kim Sae-ron tragically died without achieving a comeback as an actress.
But controversies continued after her death. Before she died, in March 2004 the late Kim Sae-ron released a friendly two-shot selfie with Kim Soo-hyun that sparked dating rumors, but Kim Soo-hyun's side said the reports were "groundless." Amid this, after the deceased's death, the bereaved family alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had been dating the late Kim Sae-ron since her minor years.
In response, Kim Soo-hyun's side rebutted that the late Kim Sae-ron began dating him in the summer of 2019 after she became an adult, and said some of the evidence presented by the bereaved family was fabricated. After that, Kim Soo-hyun's side sued the late Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family for defamation and damages, and the late Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family countersued Kim Soo-hyun on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act and false accusation.
In addition, Kim Soo-hyun has been embroiled in a lawsuit seeking damages in the 10 billion won range from advertisers over the controversy of "dating a minor." His legal representative, lawyer Go Sang-rok, has continued to express Kim Soo-hyun's grievances regarding his relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron through YouTube channels and other means, and the dispute over the truth has continued even one year after the late Kim Sae-ron's death.
Meanwhile, the late Kim Sae-ron's posthumous film Guitar Man was released last May, and the film We Are Every Day, which had been postponed ahead of its planned 2022 release, will open in theaters on the 4th of next month.<
[Photo] OSEN DB
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