The family of the late Kim Sae-ron has revealed messages exchanged with actor Kim Soo-hyun during Kim Sae-ron's minor years, stating, "We want to put an end to the controversy."
Attorney Bujiseok, who represents the family of Kim Sae-ron, held a press conference on the 27th at 1:30 PM at the Space Share Gangnam Station Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
Attorney Bujiseok opened by saying, "We had a lot of concerns about whether to hold this press conference. The family faced a barrage of criticism regardless of how they responded, so we thought long and hard about it."
He stated, "The reason for holding this press conference is to inform that the family is suffering, and we hope that the criticism towards them will stop. This is not a place to reveal why the late Kim Sae-ron chose to end her life."
He continued, "The family had no choice but to disclose that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor to file a lawsuit against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, who spread false information, belittled, and mocked her, ultimately leading her to her death." He added, "However, what we received in return was Kim Soo-hyun's position, which initially denied any relationship, then, after evidence of their relationship was revealed, he lied again, claiming they only dated after she became an adult, without a single apology. For reasons unknown, there was also reckless exposure of the late Kim Sae-ron's private life and dissemination of false information by Lee Jin-ho and others involved in the case."
Attorney Bujiseok emphasized, "The family wishes to put an end to the controversy by presenting evidence. Let me be clear, this is not a place to reveal why the late Kim Sae-ron chose to end her life, and after today's press conference, the family does not wish to engage in any more meaningless disputes over the truth."
The family then revealed KakaoTalk messages between the late Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun. They stated, "The original KakaoTalk contains personal information that needs to be concealed, so we have reconstructed the content excluding those parts. I want to make it clear that we did not fabricate any non-existent content."
The revealed KakaoTalk messages date back to June 2016, when Kim Sae-ron was 17 years old. According to the messages, Kim Soo-hyun responded to Kim Sae-ron's message, "I'm filming againㅜㅜ I'll be back soon," with "Go and come back.. ㅎㅎ" and sent a heart emoji. Kim Sae-ron replied with "Love♥," and Kim Soo-hyun responded, "Do it for real later..ㅎㅎ Is this also forbidden?ㅜㅜ" to which Kim Sae-ron replied, "No, it's not forbidden."
Additionally, they exchanged messages like "I miss you," "When can I fall asleep in your arms?", "Will it take about a year? 3 years? 1 year is too much. 6 months?"
They also revealed messages exchanged when Kim Sae-ron received a content certification from her former agency, Gold Medalist. Kim Sae-ron stated, "They tricked me into paying 100%." She also said, "My first love has collapsed," to which her friend replied, "You've been dating for 6 years, so it's understandable to feel confused." Additionally, the family revealed self-harm photos of the late Kim Sae-ron.
Attorney Bujiseok raised his voice, saying, "What kind of parent would remain silent knowing this fact, with their child having died? How could they just lie down when their child has self-harmed countless times? Even if Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Jin-ho are not directly responsible for the death of the late Kim Sae-ron, what kind of parent could remain at home knowing this?"
Regarding claims that Kim Sae-ron had a poor relationship with her family, he stated, "Her mother has been taking care of Kim Sae-ron since childhood as her manager. She is suffering more than anyone else. There is overwhelming evidence that their relationship was good. The dissemination of false information claiming they had a bad relationship is simply incomprehensible."
He also addressed a recent claim by someone who claims to be Kim Sae-ron's ex-boyfriend, stating, "A few days ago, a new claim was suddenly made by a new individual. The ex-boyfriend claims that Kim Sae-ron's death was not due to Kim Soo-hyun and that the family was indifferent. What kind of parent would just eat and do nothing when their child attempted suicide? I find it hard to understand why such absurd claims are suddenly being made. I hope they contact their representative soon to clarify the reasons for their lies. If they do not provide any explanation, we will take strong legal action regarding their statements."
He indicated strong legal action against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, stating, "Lee Jin-ho is making it difficult for the family by claiming he has no responsibility for Kim Sae-ron's death while exposing her private life. The family has seen Kim Sae-ron self-harm on multiple occasions during Lee Jin-ho's broadcasts. We plan to file a stalking complaint today. We can stop the broadcasts through provisional measures. I will keep the details of when and where confidential."
Regarding Kim Soo-hyun, he said, "The family is very reluctant to take legal action against the person claiming to be her ex-boyfriend, as they see him as a very gentle friend. The focus was not on Kim Soo-hyun, but on filing a lawsuit against Lee Jin-ho, so they are worried about being criticized if they deviate from the essence. Legal action against Kim Soo-hyun is something we are considering."
Kim Soo-hyun's side denies the allegations of dating a minor. Attorney Bujiseok stated, "Given the KakaoTalk evidence that has emerged, is denying the minor relationship tantamount to committing 'grooming sexual crimes'? I wonder if there is any need to respond further." He added, "An apology is only recognized if the victim accepts it, even if the other party apologizes. I believe there should be an apology seeking forgiveness for wrongdoing."
He also added, "The family has requested that excessive criticism towards Kim Soo-hyun be restrained."
Kim Sae-ron passed away on the 16th of last month at the age of 25. The family of Kim Sae-ron has been claiming since the 10th through the YouTube channel 'Garo Sero Research Institute' (Gaseyeon) that "Kim Sae-ron has been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for over 6 years since she was 15." Kim Sae-ron, born in 2000, is 12 years younger than Kim Soo-hyun, born in 1988.
Initially, Kim Soo-hyun's side denied the dating rumors, but as the controversy spread, they changed their stance, stating, "We dated from 2019 to 2020, after Kim Sae-ron became an adult."
Kim Soo-hyun's side has reported Gaseyeon and unidentified individuals claiming to be Kim Sae-ron's family and aunt for violations of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (distribution of filmed materials using cameras, etc.) and has additionally reported Gaseyeon for threats.
<Full Statement from the Family of the Late Kim Sae-ron>
I am Bujiseok, the representative attorney of the law firm Buyu, representing the family of the late Kim Sae-ron. Currently, the family is suffering from severe anxiety and cannot appear in public, so I am here to convey their position on their behalf.
Recently, the private life of the late Kim Sae-ron has been indiscriminately exposed almost daily, leading to unfounded speculation and criticism towards the family, causing them extreme anxiety and mental and physical pain.
The reason for holding today's press conference is to inform that the family is suffering and to ask that the criticism towards them be stopped. This is not a place to reveal why the late Kim Sae-ron chose to end her life.
The initial reason the family had to disclose that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor was to file a lawsuit against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, who spread false information, belittled, and mocked her, ultimately leading her to her death.
However, what we received in return was Kim Soo-hyun's position, which initially denied any relationship, then, after evidence of their relationship was revealed, he lied again, claiming they only dated after she became an adult, without a single apology. For reasons unknown, there was also reckless exposure of the late Kim Sae-ron's private life and dissemination of false information by Lee Jin-ho and others involved in the case.
The family wishes to put an end to the controversy by presenting evidence. Let me be clear, this is not a place to reveal why the late Kim Sae-ron chose to end her life, and after today's press conference, the family does not wish to engage in any more meaningless disputes over the truth.
[Shin Young-eun, Star Today Reporter]
