South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has addressed allegations of dating the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. In a press conference, the Queen of Tears star denied the accusations and clarified his side of the story.
Kim Soo-hyun faced significant backlash, leading to multiple brand endorsements cutting ties with him. Speaking publicly for the first time, he admitted his hesitation in addressing the issue sooner.
“I consider myself a coward. I have always been too preoccupied with holding on to what I have. I couldn’t even trust the goodwill that came my way, always fearing loss, harm, and running away, denying everything. That’s why it took me so long to stand here today,” he shared, as translated by Korean news site Korea JoongAng Daily.
He confirmed that he dated Kim Sae-ron but only when she was of legal age. He also expressed regret over initially denying their relationship, stating that he did so to protect his ongoing drama, Queen of Tears.
“I hesitated every time. Thinking about the impact my decisions would have on others. Whether [my decisions] would push everybody, including me, into trouble,” he said.
“When Queen of Tears was airing, I had so much to protect as its lead actor. What would have happened if I had admitted to a yearlong relationship? What would happen to the actors, the staff who were working overnight, and the production team who had everything staked on that project? What would happen to our agency’s employees?” he added.
Despite his past relationship with Kim Sae-ron, Kim Soo-hyun firmly denied any involvement in her passing.
“It is not true that she had made this tragic choice because of me or my agency pressuring her over a debt,” he maintained.
“We dated with good feelings, and after some time, we broke up. After that, we weren’t able to contact each other like we used to. Just like any other couple, contacting a lover after breaking up is a very cautious thing,” he continued.
Following the press conference, Kim Soo-hyun left without taking questions. His lawyer announced that they are pursuing legal action against Kim Sae-ron’s family and the YouTube channel responsible for spreading the allegations.
“Kim has addressed the issue directly. And standing by his will, Kim Soo-hyun and Goldmedalist have requested the law firm explore both criminal and civil litigation to get the facts straight. We have filed a complaint against the family of the deceased and Hoverlab operators while filing a complaint on damages worth 12 billion won to the Supreme Central District Court,” the lawyer shared.
As of writing, Kim Sae-ron’s family has yet to comment on the matter.