South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has denied allegations that he dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor, clarifying that their relationship began only after she became an adult. Kim’s agency, Gold Medalist, initially planned to address the issue next week but released an urgent statement on March 14, citing his extreme emotional distress over the rumors.
The agency said, “Kim Soo-hyun showed severe psychological instability early this morning. We have taken measures to ensure his complete rest,” adding, “He is struggling with claims that his actions caused Kim Sae-ron’s sudden death.”
Addressing the dating rumors, Gold Medalist explained that the 37-year-old actor and Kim Sae-ron, who passed away at 25, were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after she had become an adult. “The claim that he dated her while she was a minor is not true,” the agency said.
Regarding a letter Kim Soo-hyun sent during his military service, the agency explained, “It was just a letter to a close friend. The phrase ‘I miss you’ is commonly used by soldiers to express affection to friends.”
The agency also refuted accusations that Kim ignored Kim Sae-ron’s financial struggles. “This is not true,” they said. “At the time of Kim Sae-ron’s DUI incident, Gold Medalist fully paid off the remaining debts that she could not manage on her own. We also worked with Kim Sae-ron to resolve penalties related to her acting career and to compensate business owners affected by the incident.”
Concluding their statement, the agency condemned the spread of false rumors and the invasion of the actor’s privacy, saying, “As a public figure, Kim Soo-hyun should not be expected to accept false accusations and personal attacks. We question whether it is acceptable to expose private matters without consent.”
