According to legal sources on April 2, the Seoul Central District Court assigned Kim Soo-hyun’s damage claim lawsuit—filed against Kim Sae-ron’s family, GaroSero operator Kim Se-ui and an unidentified individual claiming to be Kim Sae-ron’s aunt to the Civil Agreement Division 14.

While Kim Soo-hyun had stated during a press conference on March 31 that he was filing a ₩12 billion lawsuit, the officially registered claim amount was confirmed to be ₩11 billion.

Attorney Kim Jong-bok from the law firm LKB & Partners, representing Kim Soo-hyun and his agency Gold Medalist, stated, “We have filed a defamation complaint under the Information and Communications Network Act against the bereaved family, the self-proclaimed aunt and the YouTube channel operator. We have also submitted a ₩12 billion damage compensation claim.”

Previously, on March 10, the late Kim Sae-ron’s family appeared on the YouTube channel GaroSero Research Institute, presenting messages and photos as evidence to support their claim that Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun were in a romantic relationship from 2015 to 2021, beginning when Kim Sae-ron was a minor.

Kim Soo-hyun responded in a press conference, referring to himself as a “star” and strongly denying all allegations and submitted evidence. What began as an exposé has now escalated into a full-scale legal battle.

News of the lawsuit has ignited fierce criticism online, with netizens reacting, “This is evil_”, “_Even Satan would cry_”, “_Unbelievable_”, “_This is insane_” and “_₩11 billion in damages against parents who lost their child—this is the worst.”