Actor Kim Soo-hyun has directly addressed and denied the allegations that he was in a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor.
On March 31 at 4:30 PM, the actor held an emergency press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, joined by his legal team. The event comes amid mounting speculation following public claims from Kim Sae-ron’s family and growing online backlash.
Kim Soo-hyun opened with a heartfelt apology, expressing anxiety over potential consequences but emphasizing his sense of responsibility to speak up. Kim Soo-hyun expressed regret for not speaking up sooner, sharing that while some advised him to stay silent and wait for the controversy to fade, he felt responsible to address the situation directly.
Addressing the core of the controversy, he stated clearly, “To clarify what everyone is most curious about: I did not date the deceased when she was a minor. It’s also untrue that our agency pressured her over debts, leading to her tragic choice.”
He further emphasized the nature of their relationship, “We were ordinary lovers who shared genuine feelings and eventually parted ways. Like most ex-couples, we didn’t maintain contact afterward, it felt inappropriate.”
Kim lamented the invasion of his privacy, stating, “I wouldn’t have faced daily threats like ‘Tomorrow, we’ll release another photo’ or ‘We’ll expose this next.’ My private photos wouldn’t have been leaked and used to humiliate me.”
“So I was afraid every day. As a star, I constantly feared that everything I chose to protect would turn against me like poison. I was afraid of everything. But even if I could go back to the time when ‘Queen of Tears’ was airing, I would make the same choice again,” he also stated.
The allegations began when Kim Sae-ron’s family made claims through the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute, asserting that the two had dated during her underage years. The controversy widened with additional accusations involving the filming of “Real,” where Kim was accused of pressuring the late actress Sulli during intimate scenes, a claim his side has yet to publicly address in detail.
Kim Soo-hyun’s press conference marks his most direct and emotional response to date, as public scrutiny continues to grow.
