[OSENWORLD] Actor Kim Soo-hyun has spoken out through his legal team for the first time in six months, forcefully denying allegations of an underage relationship and condemning what he calls fabricated evidence.
On Sept. 30, the YouTube channel Entertainment President posted a video speculating on Kim’s current state, claiming the actor has been under “extreme stress” and has taken to hiking alone to regain peace of mind. The channel also noted the disclosure of about 150 letters Kim wrote during his military service, which were released by his lawyer, Kho Sang-rok of the law firm Phil, in an effort to clarify the timeline of his past relationship.
Kho explained that the letters, written to his then-girlfriend, were largely reflective essays about daily military life and future plans, rather than romantic exchanges. He acknowledged the challenge of disproving false claims, stressing: “It is extremely difficult to prove the non-existence of something, but as a public figure, Kim must nevertheless do so.”
Kho emphasized that the allegations from the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron — particularly claims that Kim dated her since her middle school years — were entirely without foundation. He dismissed the claims as “false” and pointed out that all photos presented as evidence of intimacy were taken between late 2019 and spring 2020, when the actress was already of legal age. “If there had been a years-long relationship beginning in her teenage years, there would be photos from that time — but none exist,” he said.
The controversy initially stemmed from a March 2024 KakaoTalk draft statement, allegedly written by the late actress, which Kho said contained multiple falsehoods. One line claimed, “I was 16, he was 30,” a malicious distortion of her real age. He further noted that certain photos, which the actress had posted on her own social media before later deleting, were in fact taken in February 2020, when she was already a sophomore in college.
Kim’s agency, Gold Medalist, had also previously refuted an audio file that circulated online in May, in which the actress allegedly claimed to have dated Kim since middle school. The company asserted that the file was “completely fabricated,” likely created through AI.
Kho condemned the wave of online speculation as a form of organized cybercrime. “Cyber rumor-mongering is not content; it is crime,” he declared. “It poses a serious social threat comparable to organized violence, and society as a whole must respond firmly.”
Kim Soo-hyun’s team has vowed to continue pursuing strong legal action to protect the actor against malicious fabrications and ongoing defamation.
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Courtesy of Kim Soo-hyun SNS
