A new controversy has emerged in the South Korean entertainment industry following allegations about a past relationship between actor Kim Soo Hyun and the late actress Kim Sae Ron. The claims quickly spread online, prompting intense public scrutiny. Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, has firmly denied the allegations and announced legal action against those responsible for spreading the rumors.
Kim Soo Hyun Responds to Allegations of Dating Late Actress Kim Sae Ron
On March 10, YouTube channel HoverLab Inc. or Garo Sero Institute uploaded a video alleging that the Queen of Tears actor and Sae Ron had dated for six years, beginning when she was 15 years old. The channel claimed to have verified the relationship through Sae Ron’s parents and included an interview with a family member. The video quickly gained traction online, fueling widespread speculation.
Gold Medalist promptly responded, stating in a translation by Soompi, “The claims made by HoverLab Inc. in their YouTube broadcast about Kim Soo Hyun are clearly false and baseless.” The agency further addressed the allegations, saying that the rumors were “baseless and wholly unacceptable” and that they would pursue legal action against those responsible for spreading misinformation. The agency also expressed its condolences for Kim Sae Ron’s passing and condemned the exploitation of her name for sensationalist purposes.
Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron's Alleged Dating Controversy, Explained
The allegations have reignited controversy surrounding both actors, particularly due to the involvement of Sae Ron’s family. The family member also accused Gold Medalist of financial misconduct and failing to support the actress during her career struggles, particularly following her 2022 DUI scandal.
Gold Medalist has firmly rejected these claims, stating that the accusations are not only false but also harmful to the late actress’ legacy. “This is a textbook example of the cyber-harassment that caused the late Kim Sae Ron so much distress,” the agency declared, emphasizing the need to prevent further speculation. They also reiterated that their legal team is preparing to take the “strongest possible legal action” against HoverLab Inc. and other parties involved in spreading the rumors.
Despite the agency’s swift response, the controversy continues to gain traction online. Old photos and interviews featuring the actor and actress have resurfaced, further fueling speculation. Other speculations noted that Sae Ron passed away on Soo Hyun’s birthday, while some have mentioned that the actor did not attend her funeral.
Kim Sae Ron was found deceased in her home in Seoul on February 16, 2025. Authorities treated her death as a suicide, while no note was found. Her passing has reignited conversations about the pressures faced by young actors in the industry, as well as the long-term effects of cyber harassment and public scrutiny.
Kim Sae Ron's Family Reportedly Shares Alleged Photos and Texts with Kim Soo Hyun
Update as of March 12: According to a report by The Korea Times, the controversy surrounding Soo Hyun has intensified following new disclosures from reportedly Sae Ron’s family. They have released additional materials to the YouTube channel HoverLab, which included text messages and photos allegedly supporting their claims of a past relationship between the two actors.
One message, dated March 19, 2023, showed Sae Ron allegedly pleading for time to repay a debt of 700 million Korean won, stating that she intended to pay gradually as she resumed her acting career. The family claimed that Soo Hyun did not respond to her messages, despite her repeated attempts to reach out. A few days later, she reportedly posted—and quickly deleted—a photo of herself with Soo Hyun, leading to further speculation.
HoverLab also released a photo depicting Soo Hyun appearing to kiss Sae Ron on the cheek, allegedly taken when she was still a minor. A purported letter from Sae Ron was also made public, in which she detailed their alleged relationship and financial disputes with Gold Medalist. In the letter, she claimed their relationship lasted from late 2015 to mid-2021, beginning when she was 16 years old.
Sae Ron’s mother also issued a statement through HoverLab, expressing her desire to restore her daughter’s name and criticizing false reports surrounding the actress’s life. She urged the public to remember Sae Ron for her work rather than as a subject of controversy.
On March 12, an official from Soo Hyun’s agency repeated their stance to Korean media outlet Xportnews after the new alleged revelations. The agency reiterated, “Our position is the same as the position from the previous day.”
Kim Soo Hyun’s Agency Releases New Statement
Update: On March 14, Gold Medalist issued a new statement that addressed the timeline and financial matters related to the controversy, providing its version of events while refuting certain claims.
Kim Soo Hyun's agency addressed his current mental state, revealing, "Early this morning, Kim Soo Hyun exhibited signs of severe psychological instability, and we have taken measures to ensure that he can achieve absolute stability." They attributed his distress to the allegations raised by HoverLab, stating, "Following HoverLab’s report, Kim Soo Hyun has been experiencing extreme confusion due to claims that the cause of the sudden death of the deceased is attributed to him."
On Allegations That Kim Sae Ron Was a Minor When She Dated Kim Soo Hyun
In the statement, the agency acknowledged that Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship but disputed claims that it began while she was a minor. “Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae Ron became a legal adult, until the fall of 2020. It is not true that Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor,” the agency stated, in a translation by Soompi. They pushed back against allegations that certain photos were taken in 2016, asserting that “all the photos presented by HoverLab as evidence that Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron since her minor years were taken when she was an adult.”
Regarding letters Soo Hyun sent during his military service, the agency clarified that these were part of his regular correspondence with his peers. “The letters Kim Soo Hyun sent to Kim Sae Ron during his military service were among the letters sent to close acquaintances,” the statement read. “Expressions of missing someone are common among soldiers and their close friends.”
Gold Medalist also criticized HoverLab, the platform that aired these allegations, for allegedly distorting the timeline and misrepresenting the context of their relationship. “HoverLab has claimed that the two were dating since 2015, distorting photos taken after Kim Sae Ron became an adult as if they were from her minor years and juxtaposing postcards sent after their relationship with letters from his military service to make ordinary letters appear as love letters," the statement asserted.
They further stated, “There has been much criticism directed at Kim Soo Hyun regarding their relationship. While the relationship between two adults may be a private matter, it is natural for the life of Kim Soo Hyun, who is loved by many, to be subject to public evaluation, and if that evaluation is sharp criticism, it should be taken seriously and painfully. However, due to HoverLab’s reports, numerous false information and rumors are spreading as if they are truths even at this moment.”
On Claims That Kim Soo Hyun Ignored Kim Sae Ron’s Financial Issues
Gold Medalist also denied allegations that Kim Soo Hyun or his agency pressured Kim Sae Ron to repay a 700 million won debt, stating that they had officially written off the debt in December 2023. “At that time, GOLDMEDALIST paid off the entire remaining debt that Kim Sae Ron could not handle,” the agency explained. They also clarified that the total penalty amount stemming from Kim Sae Ron’s drunk driving incident was approximately 1.014 billion won, but through various efforts, the remaining compensation amount was reduced to about 700 million won before it was written off.
The agency further explained that while a formal debt collection notice was sent, it was strictly for accounting purposes. “To proceed with the provision process for the uncollectible accounts expense, we needed to send a notice to prove that we were not arbitrarily waiving our claims against her,” the statement read. “There was also a realistic concern that Kim Sae Ron might have to pay a gift tax corresponding to the benefits she would gain from the debt waiver.” They reiterated that “Kim Soo Hyun has never lent money to Kim Sae Ron, nor has he urged repayment, nor was he in a position to do so.”
In addressing reports that Gold Medalist seized Kim Sae Ron’s car, the agency denied the claims, stating, “Through her various efforts to repay the debt, the remaining compensation amount was reduced to about 700 million won. This process included repairing and selling Kim Sae Ron’s vehicle, which was severely damaged in the drunk driving accident, to compensate for some of the damages,” they wrote. “This was done at Kim Sae Ron’s request, where Gold Medalist repaired and sold the non-operational accident vehicle, compensating for part of the damages.” They called the claim that the company had forcibly taken her car a “distortion of the situation.”
The agency also criticized HoverLab for selectively releasing information to mislead the public. “A screenshot of a single text message in which the company was being considerate of the debt issue is being used to claim that the company pressured Kim Sae Ron to repay debts. As a result, even though the debt matter was resolved a year ago, this has led to the baseless assertion that the debt issue was the direct cause of the deceased’s recent passing.”
Finally, Gold Medalist condemned the unauthorized release of private information and the spread of misinformation surrounding Kim Soo Hyun. “The photos of the two individuals released by HoverLab are indeed real. However, that does not make HoverLab’s claims the ‘truth.’ By throwing out a few pieces of evidence that attract public attention while removing the context, the truth is distorted, causing many to suffer,” they stated.
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