Kim Sae-ron’s Family Releases Text Messages Revealing Alleged Relationship with Kim Soo-hyun When Actress Was 15

By
George Yang
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It appears that the incident involving Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron might not have ended after all.

The family of late South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron has shared private text messages between her and K-drama star Kim Soo-hyun as proof of a romantic relationship that began when she was 15 years old.

A press conference held in Seoul on 27 Mar 2024 by Bu Ji-seok, a lawyer representing Kim Sae-ron’s family, and YouTuber Kim Se-ui, head of YouTube channel Hoverlab, revealed KakaoTalk chat exchanges allegedly between the two stars from June 2016.

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At that time, Kim Sae-ron was a month away from her 16th birthday, while Kim Soo-hyun was 28.

Text Messages Reveal Intimate Exchanges Between Kim Soo-hyun and Underage Kim Sae-ron

The text messages, translated by K-entertainment news outlet Soompi, included exchanges where Kim Sae-ron sent an emoticon of a kiss, to which Kim Soo-hyun replied: “Do it for real later.”

In another message, Kim Soo-hyun asked: “When can I go to sleep holding you? I think I would be able to sleep really well then.”

After a back-and-forth about how many years it would be before they could sleep together, Kim Sae-ron responded: “I’ll do it when I want to.”

Bu stated these messages demonstrate that Kim Soo-hyun was either in a sexual relationship with Kim Sae-ron or sexually grooming her. He added that regardless of the circumstances, Kim Soo-hyun should apologize to the late actress’ family.

Additional Instagram messages between Kim Sae-ron and a close friend from April 2024 were also shown at the press conference. In these exchanges, Kim Sae-ron referred to Kim Soo-hyun as her “first love,” and her friend responded: “Since (the two of you) dated for six years, you can’t help but feel mixed feelings.”

Kim Soo-hyun’s Shifting Claims and Family’s Request for Apology

The 37-year-old Queen Of Tears star had initially denied having a romantic relationship with Kim Sae-ron. However, after Hoverlab released photos showing them behaving intimately, he admitted to dating the actress from 2019 to 2020, after she was legally an adult.

On 14 Mar, Kim Soo-hyun released a statement claiming they had only dated for a little over a year when she was 19. However, Kim Sae-ron’s family and Hoverlab maintain the relationship lasted from 2015 to 2021.

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The YouTuber and Bu promised to stop releasing videos about Kim Soo-hyun and exposing more private exchanges and pictures once he apologizes to her family. When reporters asked what kind of apology the family sought, Bu replied: “An apology works only if the person truly asks for forgiveness and the recipient can truly feel that the person is sorry.”

The case has stirred controversy across South Korea and internationally. Kim Soo-hyun has lost multiple brand deals amid the scandal, and the release of his upcoming drama, Disney+’s Knock-Off, has been postponed.

Kim Sae-ron died by suicide on 16 Feb 2024 at the age of 24, which happened to be Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday. Her death came after a drunk driving incident in 2022 that negatively impacted her career.

Despite the controversy, Bu also appealed for people to “stop the excessive criticism not only towards the family, but also towards Kim Soo-hyun.”

The initial allegations came on 10 Mar, when Hoverlab (also known as Garosero Research Institute) uploaded a video claiming Kim Soo-hyun was in a six-year relationship with Kim Sae-ron, beginning when she was 15 and he was 27. The channel later released images showing Kim Soo-hyun kissing Kim Sae-ron on the cheek, with some reportedly taken when she was still in middle school.

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Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, initially denied these claims and announced plans to file a lawsuit against the channel.

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George Yang
Email: [email protected]