Kim Soo Hyun's agency denies allegations by Kim Sae Ron's family
Kim Soo Hyun's agency, Goldmedalist, has responded to statements made by the family of the late actress Kim Sae Ron.
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 repaty 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."
"The reason we sent the second certification of contents was to provide Kim Sae Ron with a more accurate explanation of the certification of contents. As stated in our previous statement, we sent a notice by mail to inform Kim Sae Ron that our claims against her were in a 'non-recoverable' state, allowing us to write off the debt and eliminate any potential for occupational breach of trust by our executives. This was the first certification of contents sent on March 15, 2024," Goldmedalist stated
After Sae Ron posted a photo with Soo Hyun while Queen of Tears was airing, the agency "felt the need" to inform the actress that her actions could impact the show, cast and crew, broadcasting station, and all related parties.
"We reiterate that we did not pressure Kim Sae Ron regarding compensation for damages."
On claims about Sae Ron's debt repayments
According to Goldmedalist, the second certification of contents was intended to "alleviate" Sae Ron's concerns and explain why they were urging debt repayment.
"As explained in the attached second certification of contents, we informed Kim Sae Ron that 'if the company does not claim the repayment of your loan despite the due date having arrived, there is a possibility that the executives of the client company could be liable for breach of trust,' and we expressed our 'willingness to negotiate the method and timing of the debt repayment.'"
The agency processed its claim against Sae Ron as "uncollectible accounts expense" without further demanding repayment upon receiving an audit report on April 1, 2024.
It further maintained that it "never intended to pressure" the late actress for repayment of the debt. "Neither the deceased nor the family made any attempts to repay the debt afterward," it claimed.
Goldmedalist also dispelled the speculations that they and Soo Hyun did not attend Sae Ron's funeral by providing a photo of the wreath they left in the funeral hall on Feb. 17.
They also said they would meet the family, offer their condolences, and leave condolence money for them on Feb. 19.
During their March 17 press conference, Sae Ron's family hoped that Soo Hyun would acknowledge his past romance with the actress and that he would offer an apology.
Soo Hyun's agency denied dating rumors with Sae Ron twice, first in March 2024 and in March of this year. It was only on March 14 when he finally confirmed that they dated, clarifying that it did not happen when Sae Ron was just a minor.
The late actress' family is also reviewing potential legal actions against Soo Hun and his representatives.
Soo Hyun starred in various hit K-dramas including Queen of Tears (2024), Its Okay Not to Be Okay (2020), My Love from the Star (2013), The Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), Dream High (2011), and The Producers (2015), among others.
Sae Ron began her career at nine years old and became a notable child star by starring in the thriller-drama Korean film A Brand New Life. She also starred in the 2010 action-thriller film The Man From Nowhere. She passed away in February at age 14 by suicide.
