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Kim Soo-hyun refutes allegations, takes legal action for damages

April 4, 2025

Actor Kim Soo-hyun on Monday strongly denied underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron, while offering an apology for causing controversy, in his first direct response to the situation that emerged early this month.

“It is not true that I dated her when she was underage. It is also not true that she made the fatal decision due to financial pressure from my agency,” the embattled actor said during a press conference in western Seoul.

He disputed the credibility of some materials presented to prove the allegations, calling them “fake.”

He claimed photos and videos have had “their timestamps altered” and KakaoTalk messages have been “edited.”

The actor also said that an analysis by “an authoritative agency” determined the KakaoTalk conversations in 2016 and 2018, revealed by the actress’s family, did not involve the same parties throughout.

“I urge them to submit all materials to the investigative agencies for verification if this evidence is genuine,” he said.

“I can take whatever criticism for what I’ve done, but what I haven’t done, I haven’t done,” he said tearfully.

Actor Kim Soo-hyun gets emotional during a press conference in Seoul on March 31, 2025. (Yonhap)

He also expressed remorse for the ongoing controversy that has shaken the country’s entertainment industry and threatened his career.

“I am sorry for causing so much pain to many people,” he said, adding, “I also feel sad that the deceased seems unable to rest in peace,” referring to the actress, who died last month.

“The deceased and I dated for about one year five years ago, before the ‘Queen of Tears’ aired. At that time, I denied the rumors,” he said. “I understand why people have criticized this and don’t trust what happened between us.”

He also shared the anxiety and pressure he has been going through.

“It took me so long to finally stand here. Whenever my private life was exposed, I was thinking, ‘Let’s share it all tomorrow,’ or ‘Let’s end this hellish situation.’”

One of the country’s biggest actors, known for such series as “Queen of Tears” (2024), “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” (2020) and “My Love from the Star” (2013-14), Kim Soo-hyun has been at the center of controversy since March 10.

Allegations that he dated the actress when she was still a minor first surfaced via a YouTube channel and the actress’s family, igniting an ongoing public exchange of claims and counterclaims.

Most recently, the family of the late actress on Thursday released what they said was evidence supporting their claims that the actress dated the actor while she was a minor.

The YouTube channel, Hoverlab, alleged that the actor had personally lent her money and later demanded repayment despite her ongoing financial distress following her 2022 DUI accident.

Kim Jong-bok, the actor’s legal representative from LKB & Partners who was present at the conference, said they filed a lawsuit with the Seoul Central District Court earlier in the day, seeking a total of 12 billion won (US$8.14 million) in damages against the YouTube channel operator, the bereaved family and an unidentified individual claiming to be the actress’s aunt.

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