On April 2, YouTube channel GaroSero Research Institute (hereafter “GaroSero”), which is presenting the position of the late Kim Sae-ron’s family, claimed through a livestream that they had found five of the late actress’s phones and four laptops, and had submitted them to a forensic agency. GaroSero stated they were adjusting the level of evidence disclosure, asserting, “The reason we are fighting this battle is to defend the honor of Kim Sae-ron and her family.” However, YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, who was sued by Kim Sae-ron’s family, challenged the validity of their evidence.

That same day, Kim Soo-hyun’s side issued rebuttals to multiple photos released by GaroSero. Regarding a photo allegedly taken at a ski resort between 2015 and 2016, they clarified, “The photo was taken on January 22, 2020, during a group trip to a ski resort with Gold Medalist executives and staff members.” As for GaroSero’s claim that Kim Soo-hyun kissed Kim Sae-ron when she was 16, calling him a “creep kissing a middle schooler”, his side countered, “This photo was taken after 2019, when both individuals were adults.”

They also addressed a photo taken in Kim Soo-hyun’s home when Kim Sae-ron was 19, stating, “It was indeed taken in June 2018 at Kim Soo-hyun’s family home in Seongsu-dong. She visited during his time off, and his family was also present. The two were not in a romantic relationship at that time.”

GaroSero then released metadata from KakaoTalk conversations during their livestream, claiming they had received full forensic reports and that Kim Sae-ron often captured screenshots of her chats with Kim Soo-hyun. They unveiled new photos, including one with metadata from September 20, 2017, allegedly showing Kim Soo-hyun on a date with Kim Sae-ron during her first year of high school. They also shared a selfie of Kim Soo-hyun taken on April 10, 2017.

However, YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho” immediately countered, calling it “another lie caught in real time”. Lee Jin-ho claimed “I was worried I’d die from overwork exposing Kim Se-ui’s fabrications, so I just posted briefly on my community tab. The photo GaroSero insisted was from September 20, 2017 had already been posted by a Kim Soo-hyun fan in August 2014” and shared a blog link containing the exact image.

With Kim Sae-ron no longer able to speak, the war of evidence, rebuttals and clashing claims continues. Lee Jin-ho has urged GaroSero to undergo a proper digital forensic process, while GaroSero claims they already have, through Korea’s top forensic agency. Amid this, Kim Soo-hyun’s side has filed an additional lawsuit against GaroSero’s operator Kim Se-ui.

If this controversy truly began “to protect the honor of Kim Sae-ron and her family”, then perhaps it’s time for the courts to make a clear legal judgment.

Meanwhile, the family of the late Kim Sae-ron is promoting a petition calling for the age threshold for statutory rape to be raised from under 16 to under 19 in South Korea. On March 31, a citizen petition titled “Petition for Raising the Age and Strengthening Penalties for Statutory Rape Involving Minors, Also Known as the ‘Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Law’” was posted on the National Assembly’s electronic petition website. The petition states, “The current law only protects children aged 13 to under 16. We ask that the protection be extended to under 19 and the sentence increased to a minimum of five years in prison.”

GaroSero stated, “Just a short while ago, the bereaved family of actress Kim Sae-ron sent us this petition link. They said it was their heartfelt wish that no more victims like Kim Sae-ron emerge. While it is still being reviewed whether Kim Soo-hyun can be prosecuted under existing laws, the bereaved family emphasized that this kind of legislation is urgently needed to prevent a second or third victim like Kim Sae-ron.”

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun, during his recent press conference, admitted to dating Kim Sae-ron but denied that it began while she was a minor.