This Top Korean Actor Has Denied He Dated A 15-Year-Old Actress Who Killed Herself Years Later
After the scandal broke, Soo-hyun’s agency denied the actor and Sae-ron dated but then changed its statement to say the actors only dated one year after she became an adult.
Kim Soo-hyun, one of South Korea’s highest paid actors, held a press conference to deny allegations that he dated late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.
24-year-old Sae-ron was found dead in her home in Seoul on Sunday, Feb. 16, with police ruling her death as a suicide.
Kim had been one of South Korea’s most promising actresses, but she was forced to step away from acting after she was caught drunk driving in May 2022.
In March, a YouTube channel Garoseoro Research Institute, known for reporting entertainment scandals had published an interview with Sae-ron’s family members, who said the two actors had been in a secret relationship when Sae-ron was 15 and Soo-hyun was 27.
The YouTube channel shared evidence of the relationship including selfies of Soo-hyun kissing Sae-ron’s cheek and letters Soo-hyun had sent to Sae-ron during his military service.
Her family members also said Sae-ron’s agency, which was co-founded by Soo-hyun's relative, had asked Sae-ron to repay a debt.
After the scandal broke, Soo-hyun’s agency denied the actor and Sae-ron dated but then changed its statement to say the actors only dated one year after she became an adult.
On Monday, March 31, Soo-hyun held a press conference to address the scandal.
“I can’t admit to something I didn’t do,” he said tearfully, apologizing to fans and staff for making them “suffer”.
He said their one year relationship “was just like that of any other ordinary couple".
He also said he had initially denied the dating allegations, which first surfaced after Sae-ron published a photo of them together during his press tour of his new show, “Queen of Tears”, to protect his career.
"I had so much to protect as its lead actor. What would have happened if I had admitted to a year-long relationship? What would happen to the actors, the staff who were working overnight and the production team who had everything staked on that project?” he said.
Soo-hyun and his agency has sued Sae-ron’s family and the YouTube channel for 12 billion won(about US$8.16 million).
Multiple brands, including fashion brand Prada, have since ended their deals with Soo-hyun.
Meanwhile, a group has launched a petition to raise the age limit for statutory rape laws from 16 to 19.
“Unfortunately, the current law only protects children aged 13 to under 16, which means Kim Soo-hyun cannot be legally prosecuted," one petitioner told the Korean Herald.
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Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
