SEOUL, April 1 — South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has publicly denied allegations made by the family of actress Kim Sae-ron, who died in February in an apparent suicide.
At a press conference in Seoul on Monday, he rejected claims that he had dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor or that his agency pressured her to repay a debt.
“I never dated her when she was a minor,” he was quoted saying by the BBC.
“Except for the fact that both of us were actors, our relationship was just like that of any other ordinary couple.”
The scandal erupted on 10 March after a YouTube channel claimed the two had been in a relationship for six years, starting when she was 15.
Kim Sae-ron’s family later released alleged chat records from 2016, when she was 16, appearing to support the claim.
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency initially denied the allegations but later admitted they had dated, stating the relationship occurred only between 2019 and 2020 when she was an adult.
He also defended his decision to deny their past relationship when Kim Sae-ron posted and deleted a photo of them in 2024, saying he wanted to protect his career and those working on his Netflix series Queen of Tears.
Kim Sae-ron, once a rising star, faced public scrutiny after a 2022 drunk-driving incident, which led to a fine and claims that her agency, GoldMedalist, covered the compensation before later demanding repayment.
On Monday, Kim Soo-hyun rejected allegations that he or his agency pressured Kim Sae-ron over the debt and released a recording of a phone call suggesting her team had time to respond.
His lawyer announced that they had filed lawsuits against Kim Sae-ron’s family and the YouTube channel for defamation and damages worth 12 billion won, while her family has yet to comment.
