Kim Sae Ron's family files criminal complaint against Kim Soo Hyun over alleged abuse, false accusations
The family of the late South Korean actress Kim Sae Ron has further addressed the ongoing controversy with actor Kim Soo Hyun by filing a criminal complaint against him, alleging violations of the Child Welfare Act and the spread of false accusations against the deceased actress.
The bereaved family recently held a press conference alongside their lawyer, Bu Ji-seok, and the head of HoverLab Inc., Kim Se-eui, and shared an audio recording they claimed was a conversation between Sae-ron and a whistleblower in New Jersey last Jan. 10, 2025.
According to a report by Soompi, the recording, which Sae Ron reportedly consented to, was made a month prior to her passing.
The late actress allegedly spoke with the whistleblower for approximately an hour and a half, during which she shared private information about Soo Hyun as well as details about her own life. They also said the whistleblower was attacked by two unknown people in the U.S. on April 30, and the FBI is now investigating the case.
"The family earnestly pleaded that we reveal a part of the recording as this incident could get more severe if we wait more," the lawyer shared.
In the recording, Sae Ron was heard saying that she used to date Soo Hyun, referring to him as oppa, a Korean term women often use for older male friends or boyfriends.
She admitted that some people might think she was lying or "crazy," but insisted their relationship started when she was in middle school and ended after she entered college.
Sae Ron then said that Soo Hyun and the people from GOLDMEDALIST, the latter's agency, are very intimidating and capable of doing anything to protect themselves or their image.
"Soo Hyun oppa and those GOLDMEDALIST people are really scary and will do anything," she was heard saying.
Sae Ron said she felt she had been "used since middle school." She also said she was Soo Hyun's girlfriend then and that he knew how deeply involved she was with him. But after an incident, she said people started treating her like she was strange or unstable.
She disclosed that the actor allegedly sent her a photograph of himself engaged in a sexual act with an idol.
"What's really crazy is that he sent me a photo taken while he was doing 'it' with someone else. He said the idol he slept with smelled like miyeok (seaweed) so he had her name saved as 'miyeok' in his phone and sent me that. If I was in better circumstances, I would've revealed everything already."
Sae Ron also shared about her first sexual experience with Soo Hyun, which happened during the winter break of her second year in middle school.
"The first time I did it with him was during winter break in my second year of middle school. Thinking about it now, it was done to me," Sae Ron said in the recording.
She added that not many people knew about their relationship at the time, but those who did found it troubling and questioned why she didn't speak up or take action.
"Not many people know about when I dated him in middle school, but they all reacted the same way. They asked why I just let him be," she continued.
The criminal complaint
Following the release of the audio recording, Sae Ron's family filed a criminal complaint against Soo Hyun for his alleged "violation of the Child Welfare Act and false accusation."
"Article 17, Clause 2 of the Child Welfare Act punishes those who force a child to engage in obscene acts, mediate such acts, or commit sexual harassment or other forms of sexual abuse against a child. The family has confirmed that Kim Soo Hyun forced the late Kim Sae Ron, when she was a minor in her second year of middle school during winter break, to engage in obscene acts and subjected her to sexual harassment and other forms of sexual abuse, and has therefore filed a complaint for violation of the Child Welfare Act," Bu Ji Seok, attorney of the law firm BUYOU, said in a statement, adding that they have filed their legal complaint against the Queen of Tears actor for making false accusations.
They argue that he is wrongfully trying to get them punished through the legal system by accusing them of defamation when their claims are true.
"In response, the family has filed a complaint against Kim Soo Hyun for false accusation on the grounds that he is attempting to have the family criminally punished by making false claims."
The statement came after the Korean actor denied allegations that he dated late actress Sae Ron when she was a minor while apologizing that the latter "isn't able to rest in peace" in a press conference last March 31. The actor stressed that his relationship with Sae Ron, who died by suicide in February, "was just like that of any other ordinary couple."
Audio recording is 'fake'
Following the revelations, GOLDMEDALIST issued a response, asserting that the recording is "fake" as they believe the audio was created "using AI or similar technology to mimic Sae Ron's voice."
They stated that the individual who provided the recording to HoverLab is a known fraudster who also attempted to deceive them by falsely claiming to possess the recording where Sae Ron allegedly made positive remarks about Soo Hyun, demanding payment which GOLDMEDALIST refused.
"The audio file provider demanded money from GOLDMEDALIST and sent a portion of the recording, which was manipulated to imitate the late Kim Sae Ron's voice. GOLDMEDALIST did not comply with any of the provider's demand," the statement read.
It added, "The audio file provider is someone who could not possibly have had any contact with the late Kim Sae Ron. When their attempt to defraud GOLDMEDALIST failed, they colluded with HoverLab to release the fabricated audio file."
The agency also said that they are now investigating the audio file's authenticity and will share the findings once the analysis is complete.
Regarding the "attack photo" claimed by HoverLab, GOLDMEDALIST argues that this claim is completely false and unreasonable. They stated that the "attack photo" is not evidence of any actual assault but is simply an image that can be easily found online.
"This claim is utterly baseless and cannot be tolerated; it is also completely unreasonable from a common-sense perspective. In fact, the 'attack photo' presented by HoverLab is an image that can be easily found through a simple internet search. HoverLab and the audio file provider are falsely presenting a photo downloaded from the internet as evidence of an attack."
GOLDMEDALIST went on to say that the press conference held by HoverLab was another attempt to harm the actor's reputation. They argue that HoverLab is creating false stories as part of a broader campaign to attack their talent, which they believe is motivated by a variety of past wrongdoings, including defamation, stalking, cybersex crimes, and evidence manipulation.
It also underscored these actions are serious criminal offenses meant to destroy the actor's character, and those responsible will face legal consequences as they "immediately file criminal complaints and charges against HoverLab for violations of the Stalking Punishment Act and the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (Defamation)."
"We will do our utmost, in close cooperation with investigative authorities, to ensure that HoverLab is punished according to the law and principles," the statement concluded.
