Kim Soo-hyun denies dating Kim Sae-ron as a minor, clarifies relationship timeline

Actor Kim Soo-hyun holds back his tears as he speaks to the press during a conference at a hotel in Mapo District, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul By Pyo Kyung-min Actor Kim Soo-hyun on Monday refuted allegations that he had dated the late actor Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, reiterating his previous statement that their relationship began after she became an adult. During a press conference attended by Kim Soo-hyun and his legal representatives from LKB & Partners, the actor maintained that he and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship for about a year, five years ago. “Outside of being actors, we were just like any other couple,” he said. The sudden press event came as a response to mounting allegations that Kim Soo-hyun had dated Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor and had allegedly groomed her. Crying and sniffling throughout the entire event, the actor argued that Kim Sae-ron's family is framing him as a pedophile responsible for her death, using fabricated evidence. “I accept responsibility for what I have done and will take any criticism for it,” Kim Soo-hyun said. “But I cannot take responsibility for something I did not do. For the people who still believe in me, I want to set the record straight.” Actor Kim Soo-hyun speaks to the press during a conference at a hotel in Mapo District, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Initially, Kim Soo-hyun had denied any romantic relations when dating rumors first surfaced after Kim Sae-ron posted a photo of the two with their cheeks pressed together on Instagram. He had denied the entire relationship at the time. However, following Kim Sae-ron’s death in February, YouTube channel Hoverlab released what it said were intimate exchanges between the two and alleged that their relationship had begun when she was underage. In response, Kim Soo-hyun altered his previous statement, saying they had dated for only a year after she became an adult. Despite his explanations, Kim Sae-ron’s family pushed back, holding a press conference last week where they accused him of lying. They released KakaoTalk messages from 2016, saying the chat logs proved the two had been in a romantic relationship since Kim Sae-ron was in her second year of middle school, amounting to six years of dating. The messages reportedly contained exchanges typical of romantic partners. During the press conference, Kim Soo-hyun dismissed these claims as “false testimony” and “fabricated evidence." Actor Kim Soo-hyun attends a press conference at a hotel in Mapo District, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul “Whenever my agency and I respond to the evidence presented by the bereaved family, newly recorded testimonies suddenly emerge. The so-called evidence consists of photos and videos with altered timelines, as well as edited KakaoTalk images instead of the originals,” he said. The actor also stated that he underwent a formal verification process regarding the KakaoTalk messages presented by the bereaved family, claiming that some of them were not sent by him. He added that, just as his messages were scrutinized, all evidence provided by the family should also undergo thorough assessment. “If their evidence is truly genuine, I urge them to submit all materials to the authorities and have them verified through legal procedures,” he said. He also denied allegations that he had financially pressured Kim Sae-ron following her 2022 drunk driving accident, which left her with significant debt. He claimed that they had already broken up by then, making it difficult for him to reach out. “As far as I know, she was dating someone else at the time,” he said. “Given the circumstances, I was very cautious about contacting her … Her family is accusing me of driving her to her death just because I was her ex-boyfriend. They are pressuring me to confess to something I did not do.” Unlike a typical press conference where reporters are allowed to question the speaker, Kim left immediately after delivering his statement without taking any questions.