Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron scandal explained: Underage dating allegations and US$480,000 debt

Popular South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun – who made waves through his roles in dramas such as It's Okay To Not Be Okay and Queen Of Tears – is currently at the centre of an alleged underage dating scandal involving the late actress Kim Sae-ron, who died this year at the age of 24.

Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her home on Feb 16 – the same day as the 37-year-old actor's birthday. Her death came years after she was involved in a drunk driving incident in 2022 which saw her career taking a hit. The police later ruled her death as a suicide.

On Monday (Mar 10), South Korean YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, also known as Hoverlab, uploaded a video that alleged that Kim Soo-hyun was in a six-year-long relationship with the late Kim. The relationship reportedly started when she was 15 and he was 27, and ended in 2021.

In South Korea, the age of consent used to be 13 before it was raised to 16 in 2020. Korean law defines an adult as someone who has turned 19.

The video also featured an interview with a woman claiming to be Kim Sae-ron’s aunt who provided more details into the nature of the pair’s relationship and the aftermath of Kim’s drunk driving incident.

Following the release of the video, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency Gold Medalist denied the claims and added that they would be filing a lawsuit against the channel.

"The claims made about Kim Soo-hyun on YouTube today are completely false,” the agency said. "We are reviewing the strongest possible legal action."

However, in the days that followed, Garosero Research Institute released more images of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron, with some that show the former kissing the latter on the cheek.

According to the channel, some of these photos were taken when the female Kim was still in middle school.

As of writing, the backlash against Kim Soo-hyun continues to grow as more materials, including purported text messages and handwritten letters, make their way online.

Here’s everything we know so far about the saga.

WHAT WERE THE ALLEGATIONS MADE IN THE VIDEO ON MAR 10?

In addition to claiming that the pair were in a relationship for six years, Kim Sae-ron’s aunt also alleged that when Kim Sae-ron joined Gold Medalist in 2020 (months after it was newly formed by Kim Soo-hyun and his cousin), she helped coach actors there for free.

Following Kim Sae-ron’s drunk driving accident, Gold Medalist reportedly covered the 700 million won (US$480,000) compensation to affected parties. According to Kim’s aunt, Kim Soo-hyun never asked for a repayment deadline. However, Kim Sae-ron told her aunt that she intended to pay him back by working hard even though he never demanded repayment. 

In 2022, her contract with Gold Medalist came to an end and she left the agency.

Her aunt alleged that in 2024, Kim Sae-ron suddenly received a certified letter demanding that the 700 million won be repaid. Surprised, Kim Sae-ron tried to reach out to Kim Soo-hyun through various means, including texting him using her cousin’s number. The male Kim never responded. 

However, Korean reporters began calling Kim Sae-ron’s cousin – thinking they were calling the actress. This made Kim Sae-ron suspect that Kim Soo-hyun had provided that number to journalists.

Hoping to get Kim Soo-hyun to respond to her, Kim Sae-ron uploaded an Instagram story on March 2024 – at the height of Queen Of Tears’ popularity – showing a selfie of the two close together. She deleted the story within minutes.

WHAT OTHER MATERIALS HAVE BEEN RELEASED SINCE THEN?

Following Gold Medalist’s statement on Mar 10, Garosero Research Institute released a screenshot of Kim Sae-ron’s alleged text to Kim Soo-hyun after she received the certified letter demanding payment. 

The text, dated Mar 19, 2024, showed the female Kim begging Kim Soo-hyun to give her time to repay the money.

She wrote: "I’m working hard on preparing to make a comeback. I’ll gradually pay back a certain percentage with each project. I’m not saying I won’t pay it back. But if you ask me to pay back 700 million won right away, I really can’t do it. It’s not that I’m refusing to do it; I just can’t. Does it really have to go as far as a lawsuit? Please save me. I’m begging you, give me some time.”
 

On Mar 12, Garosero Research Institute released a photo of Kim Soo-hyun giving Kim Sae-ron a peck on her cheek as well as a picture of a letter, purportedly written by the former and addressed to the latter.

The letter, dated Jun 9, 2018, was allegedly written while Kim Soo-hyun was still serving his military service which would have made him 30 years old and Kim Sae-ron 17 years old.

In the letter, Kim refers to the actress as “Saero-Nero” and wrote: “It’s hard to see your face but I don’t want to burden you. All I can say is I miss you.”

South Korean news outlet Dispatch has also released additional materials including the certified letter sent by Gold Medalist which demanded payment from Kim Sae-ron. The document wrote that if the loan was not paid in full, civil and criminal legal action would be taken.

Following Kim Sae-ron’s death in February, Dispatch said that they reached out to Gold Medalist to ask about her debt. 

According to the outlet, Gold Medalist told Dispatch that they “had no intentions of receiving the money” from her and claimed they were “just following basic procedures” in case they were potentially accused of embezzlement.

When asked if they had informed Kim Sae-ron that the letter was a formality, Gold Medalist allegedly replied: “From our understanding, Kim Sae-ron’s manager got in contact with her and told her that we needed to go through the paperwork…She was told the company paid out the compensation. We knew we couldn’t get such a large amount from her. We told her she could pay us back when she had money.”

Dispatch reported that in her attempt to pay off her debt, Kim Sae-ron sold off most of her assets, including her car and convertible bonds, and raised about 200 million won.

Dispatch also alleged that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron had indeed been in a relationship. An unnamed friend of Kim Soo-hyun had reportedly told the outlet: “Kim Sae-ron’s age is an issue which is why they can never admit to their relationship.”

WHAT ARE THE REACTIONS TO THIS SAGA?

As a result of the allegations, Kim Soo-hyun has received backlash worldwide with growing calls for people to boycott brands that have him as an ambassador. 

His Instagram followers have been on a steady decline, with an overwhelming majority of the comments on his latest post lambasting Kim.

South Korean actress Seo Yea-ji, Kim Soo-hyun's co-star in It's Okay To Not Be Okay, has also found herself unwittingly dragged into the saga after online commenters implied that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Seo.

In a statement to her fancafe, Seo wrote: “To my dear Yeye (her fandom name), as a human being, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed, tired and suffocated.

"I tried to suppress it all but before I knew it, I was replying [the negative comments] and quickly deleted [my responses]. Please, just stop. I swear, I have absolutely no relations with that person and his cousin. I don’t know why I have to explain any of this but I’m just extra frustrated tonight.”

On Thursday (Mar 13), Gold Medalist announced that they would release a full statement the following week.

“We will clarify the facts and respond to the baseless rumours based on clear evidence, and we will announce our position next week,” wrote the agency.

“We apologise for causing prolonged fatigue. We ask for your understanding as we aim to prevent further ongoing reports.”