After the death of South Korean actress Kim Sae Ron, actor Kim Soo Hyun has been embroiled in controversy. The 24-year-old actress who died by suicide on February 16 was in a relationship with the Queen of Tears actor. As per her aunt, they dated when Sae Ron was underaged, however, the actor and his agency have refuted the claims. With so many things unfolding, we look at the timeline of this controversy.
On March 10th, the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (HoverLab) claimed in a video that Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun were in a relationship. The video featured a woman who claimed to be the late actress’ aunt. She alleged that Sae Ron was 15 and Soo Hyun was 27 when they started dating in 2015. She also claimed that Kim Sae-ron joined Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist in 2019, contributing to its establishment by providing services such as acting classes and directing new talent, allegedly without proper compensation. âÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂHowever, her family said the couple’s relationship ended in July 2021.
In May 2022, Kim Sae Ron was involved in a drunk driving incident that caused property damage. Gold Medalist reportedly covered approximately 700 million KRW in damages on her behalf. Her family members claimed that Soo Hyun distanced himself from Sae Ron after this. Gold Medalist and Soo Hyun initially paid the damages but did not ask her for repayment. However, they later sent her a legal notice and asked her to repay the debt by 2024. Her contract with Gold Medalist was also not renewed after that.
In March 2024, Kim Sae Ron allegedly sent a text message to Kim Soo Hyun pleading for more time to repay the debt demanded by Gold Medalist. He reportedly ignored her. A letter allegedly written by her was leaked which read, “Oppa, it’s Sae Ron. I received the content-certified letter. You’re suing me… I’ve been preparing for my return to acting, and I plan to repay you gradually from each project. Please give me time. I’m begging you, help me.” At the same time, Sae Ron posted, and then deleted, a photo on Instagram showing her and Kim Soo Hyun with their cheeks touching, sparking dating rumours. âÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂHowever, the actor and his agency issued a statement and denied the dating rumours.
Kim Sae Ron’s Death
On February 16, 2025, Kim Sae Ron was found dead in her Seoul apartment in an apparent suicide. Her death coincided with Kim Soo Hyun’s birthday. Following her death, Garosero Research Institute released a video featuring statements from Kim Sae-ron’s aunt, alleging a six-year secret relationship between Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun starting when she was a minor. âÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂGarosero Research Institute published additional content, including a 2016 photo of Soo Hyun kissing a then-minor Sae Ron on the cheek, and a text message from Kim Sae-ron to Kim Soo Hyun dated March 19, 2024, pleading for more time to repay the debt. âÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂFollowing this, Kim Sae Ron’s family released more evidence, including a photo and a message she reportedly sent to Kim Soo Hyun, claiming he never responded despite multiple attempts to reach him. âÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
Amid these allegations, Gold Medalist issued a statement acknowledging a romantic relationship between Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron but asserting that it occurred from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after she had reached adulthood. Luxury brand Prada also officially ended its collaboration with Kim Soo-hyun, citing the growing seriousness of the allegations and their impact on his public image. âÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
Kim Soo Hyun’s Private Photo Leaks
Amid these allegations, a private photo of Soo Hyun was leaked from Sae Ron’s apartment that showed him semi-naked.
The mounting pressure also forced the agency to respond to allegations that they caused Sae Ron financial distress after the DUI case. They gave the justification that handling her outstanding debt was a formal legal requirement. However, they claimed that once the agency confirmed that the actress couldn’t repay the remaining amount from her penalties, they wrote it off as an uncollectible expense in December 2023. They further stated that they had to attempt to recover the amount before waiving it to comply with legal procedures.
Garo Sero Research Hits Back
Garo Sero Research Institute threatened to release more personal photos. This made Gold Medalist issue another statement seeking a private meeting with Sae Ron’s mother. Her mother, in return, demanded an apology from both Soo Hyun and his agency.
Kim Soo Hyun Files Criminal Lawsuit
Kim Soo Hyun’s agency filed a criminal lawsuit against the operator of Garo Sero Research Institute and the late actress’ family members. As per a statement released by the agency, “GOLD MEDALIST, as the agency managing actor Kim Soo Hyun, has filed a criminal complaint against Kim Sae-eui, the operator of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as ‘Garo Sero’), who posted a photo of actor Kim Soo Hyun taken with his pants down during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel today. The criminal complaint is also pertaining to the bereaved family of the late actress Kim Sae Ron and an unidentified individual claiming to be Kim Sae Ron’s aunt, who allegedly provided the photo to Kim Sae-eui, leading him to post it. The charges include violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (distribution of footage filmed using cameras, etc.).”
Kim Soo Hyun’s Agency Withdraws Condolence Payment To Sae Ron’s Family
This is the latest move from Gold Medalist. They initially planned to offer a condolence payment to the late actress’ family but changed their mind after Soo Hyun’s semi-naked photo was leaked on the internet. As per a source quoted by Korean media, “Gold Medalist had been considering ways to offer condolences to Kim Sae Ron’s family, including discussing a financial contribution while factoring in gift tax implications. But once the dishwashing photo was leaked, the agency immediately abandoned that plan.” The reason behind doing so was that any financial help at this stage could be easily misinterpreted either as an admission of wrongdoing or an attempt to silence the opposite party.
