K-drama star Kim Soo-hyun is facing a backlash after a YouTube channel accused the 37-year-old of being in a relationship with the late South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron, who recently died at the age of 24.
According to South Korean news outlets, a South Korean YouTube channel called Hoverlab released a video on March 10, alleging that Kim Soo-hyun began dating Kim Sae-ron when she was 15, and they were in a relationship for six years.
Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her home in Seoul on Feb 16 due to suicide.
According to Korean entertainment news site Soompi, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency Goldmedalist denied the allegations in a statement, calling the claims “baseless” and “malicious”. Goldmedalist threatened legal action against Hoverlab.
Still, the controversy has continued to grow.
Hoverlab has followed up with another video, which included material said to be provided by Kim Sae-ron’s family.
It released a previously unseen photograph of Kim Soo-hyun seemingly kissing Kim Sae-ron on the cheek. It also released a purported screenshot of a message said to be sent to Kim Soo-hyun from the late actress, in which she seemed to be begging the Queen Of Tears (2024) actor not to sue her for money owed.
Netizens also pointed out that Kim Sae-ron died on Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday, and that Kim Soo-hyun did not attend her funeral.
Kim Sae-ron, who rose to fame as a child star in thriller film The Man From Nowhere (2010), was previously also managed by Goldmedalist.
She left the agency in 2022 following a drink-driving accident in May that year, in which she crashed into a transformer by the roadside and interrupted electricity coverage to nearby merchants.
The accident was a blow to her career and public image, and led to her retreating from the public eye.
She was further criticised when she posted, then swiftly deleted, a private photo of herself with Kim Soo-hyun – which showed the pair with their faces pressed against each other – in March 2024 amid the height of romance drama Queen Of Tears’ popularity.
At the time, Goldmedalist denied that the two were dating and said: “We have no idea what her intentions were (in uploading the photo).”
Goldmedalist and Kim Soo-hyun have yet to respond to the latest allegations.
The actor’s latest Instagram post on Feb 12 has been flooded with over 193,000 comments, many from angry netizens. Some accused him of dating an underage girl, while others called for his boycott and cancellation.
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