The image was shared on Instagram.
New Delhi: Kim Soo Hyun recently found himself embroiled in controversy after being accused of having a relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor (15), while he was 27.
Earlier, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency issued a statement dismissing the allegations as “baseless and malicious.” On Thursday, they followed up with another announcement, stating that a more detailed response with a “clear and substantiated position” would be released the following week.
On March 14, the agency released a comprehensive statement clarifying that while Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship in the past, it did not occur during her minor years. They denied allegations that the agency pressured Kim Sae Ron to repay 700 million won (approximately ₹4.19 crore). The statement included images as evidence to support their claims.
Clarifying the timeline of the relationship, the agency stated, “Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae Ron became a legal adult, until the fall of 2020. It is not true that Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor,” as quoted by Soompi.
The agency also refuted claims made by HoverLab, which alleged that certain photos of the two were taken in 2016 when Kim Sae Ron was underage.
“The photos shared by Kim Sae Ron on her Instagram Stories on March 24, 2024 and those shown in HoverLab’s broadcast on March 11, 2025 depict private moments of the two during their relationship in the winter of 2020. The outfit worn by Kim Sae Ron in those photos was released by a brand in June 2019, making HoverLab’s claim that the photos were taken in 2016, when Kim Sae Ron was a minor, impossible,” the agency added.
Goldmedalist denied claims that the actor ignored Kim Sae Ron’s financial struggles. They clarified that the agency itself covered a significant portion of Kim Sae Ron’s debts following her career downfall after the 2022 DUI incident.
They stated, “GOLDMEDALIST worked with Kim Sae Ron to resolve various penalties related to her acting activities and compensation for merchants affected by the drunk driving incident after the accident. The total penalty amount due to the incident was approximately 1.014 billion won. During the process of determining the compensation amount, we made efforts to minimize Kim Sae Ron’s burden. Through her various efforts to repay the debt, the remaining compensation amount was reduced to about 700 million won.”
“This process included repairing and selling Kim Sae Ron’s vehicle, which was severely damaged in the drunk driving accident, to compensate for some of the damages. This was done at Kim Sae Ron’s request, where GOLDMEDALIST repaired and sold the non-operational accident vehicle, compensating for part of the damages,” the agency added.
Goldmedalist further disclosed that despite Kim Sae Ron’s efforts, she struggled to resume her career, making it difficult for her to repay the remaining debt.
“As a result, we determined that Kim Sae Ron was no longer able to repay her debt. Consequently, her debt was written off as a loss by us in December 2023. Our audit report dated April 1, 2024 confirms that we processed the entire claim against Kim Sae Ron as an uncollectible accounts expense,” the agency added.
The statement also clarified that Kim Sae Ron’s debt was solely a matter between GOLDMEDALIST and the actress.
The agency added, “The claims that Kim Soo Hyun personally lent money to Kim Sae Ron or suddenly sought to get it back are unfounded. Kim Soo Hyun has never lent money to Kim Sae Ron, nor has he urged repayment, nor was he in a position to do so.”
Kim Sae Ron was found dead at her residence in Seoul on February 16. She died by suicide, as per the Seongdong Police. The actress stepped away from the limelight after her DUI incident in 2022.
