South Korea has been rocked by allegations surrounding actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late actress Kim Sae-ron, who passed away last month at the age of 24. Her father recently accused YouTuber Lee Jin-ho of driving his daughter to suicide by spreading false rumors about her.
On March 10, Lee Jin-ho escalated the controversy by livestreaming claims that Kim Sae-ron had been in a secret relationship with Kim Soo-hyun, 12 years her senior, for six years. This revelation has ignited a storm of criticism online and led to significant fallout for Kim Soo-hyun.
Lee alleged that Kim Sae-ron started dating Kim Soo-hyun in November 2015. The relationship reportedly lasted until July 2021. He also shared that Kim Sae-ron's family provided him with private documents, including an unpublished letter in which the actress wrote: "I was 16, and he was 30. That's how our six-year relationship ended." Lee further claimed that Kim Sae-ron chose to end her life on Kim Soo-hyun's birthday due to heartbreak.
A South Korean media outlet previously released photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron showing him kissing her on the cheek, claiming that only a few of the pictures were revealed at the time while they still had thousands more in their possession. Today (March 12), additional photos were posted on a South Korean online forum, showing Kim Soo-hyun appearing to almost kiss Kim Sae-ron on the lips. Since these photos appear to be sequential, the poster speculated that they might actually be frames from a video.
Last night (March 11), the media outlet invited a woman claiming to be Kim Sae-ron's aunt for an interview. The woman alleged that Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun began dating on November 19, 2015, when Kim Sae-ron was just 15 years old and Kim Soo-hyun was 30. She also confirmed that the two photos previously released were taken in 2016.
After the program aired, the keyword "Kim Soo-hyun pedophilia" quickly climbed South Korea's X trending list. Additionally, some South Korean netizens criticized Kim Soo-hyun, saying that if the allegations are true, it could constitute a crime, and called for him to "leave the entertainment industry." A fan club with 460,000 followers also announced they were severing ties with the actor. In a solemn statement written in white text on a black background, they declared: "To the actor i once admired, goodbye."
In response, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, GOLDMEDALIST, released a statement denying these allegations, calling them false. The agency also emphasized that they would take strong legal action against the outlet for spreading rumors and exploiting the late Kim Sae-ron.
However, after additional photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron kissing, as well as screenshots of their text messages, were leaked, the agency's tone became more subdued. They stated they would "organize their official position" but only responded with the words "our position remains unchanged" after a night of deliberation.
This response has failed to quell the growing backlash, and public criticism continues to escalate, even leading to repercussions with his endorsement deals. This morning (March 12), one of Kim Soo-hyun's endorsement brands, "Dinto," was the first to make a public statement, announcing that all activities involving the endorser will be suspended and held in reserve.
Some South Korean netizens also noticed that a well-known bakery chain had removed promotional posters featuring Kim Soo-hyun, suggesting that the brand had cut ties with the actor. Meanwhile, a cosmetics brand stated that all employees are currently verifying the facts and discussing how to proceed. They have decided to temporarily suspend all activities related to Kim Soo-hyun for the time being.
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