Kim Soo Hyun’s agency files case against Kim Sae Ron’s family
South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun and his agency, Gold Medalist, have filed a complaint against the YouTube channel Hoverlab and Kim Sae Ron’s family.
The agency filed a criminal lawsuit on Thursday, March 20 against the YouTube channel’s operator and the members of Sae Ron’s family for the illegal and unauthorized distribution of a private photo of the actor, allegedly provided by a person claiming to be Sae Ron’s aunt.
The YouTube channel also claimed that he and the late actress had been in a relationship for six years, starting when she was a minor.
Gold Medalist has firmly denied these claims, describing them as "false and defamatory."
"Gold Medalist is deeply saddened by the passing of the late actress Kim Sae Ron, who was once part of our agency, and we continue to mourn the loss," it stared.
"However, the photo of actor Kim Soo Hyun posted on Garo Sero’s channel was taken during a period when Kim Soo-hyun and an adult Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship. The photo contains an image of Kim Soo Hyun’s body that could cause him sexual humiliation, and it is a photo that should neither be made public nor has any reason to be disclosed. Posting such a photo on a YouTube channel is clearly a criminal act, and Garo Sero has been threatening Kim Soo Hyun by stating their intention to continue releasing similar photos. Therefore, Gold Medalist is left with no choice but to take strong legal action against such behavior,” the agency’s statement read.
The charges included violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes, related to the illegal distribution of footage.
Previously, the Queen of Tears actor's label, in a statement translated by K-entertainment site Soompi, brushed off the allegations made by the bereaved family at their press conference with HoverLab Inc.
Sae Ron's family said that Soo Hyun sent a second certification of contents to the late actress instructing her not to contact him or other actors from his agency directly. The letter also supposedly threatened legal action if she posted a photo similar to her March 24 upload or if Queen of Tears suffered any damages.
A first certification of contents was sent on March 15, urging her to repay her debt, according to her family.
The agency said they did not demand any compensation from Sae Ron for damages related to the drama and that "it is also impossible to claim compensation for damages for posting photos on social media or contacting agency actors."
Details about Sae Ron and Soo Hyun’s past relationship were revealed by HoverLab, alleging that the actor had a romance with Sae Ron when she was a minor and that his agency pressured her to repay a 700 million won (around P27 million) penalty following her DUI incident in 2022. Gold Medalist denied the allegations.
Sae Ron passed away at age 24 by suicide.
