K-drama star Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, has filed an additional defamation lawsuit against Kim Sae-ron’s family and South Korean YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute for allegedly spreading “absurd and baseless lies” about the actor amid the underage dating controversy involving the late actress.
According to reports by Korea-based media outlets Koreaboo and IMBC Entertainment, Soo-hyun’s agency pressed charges against Sae-ron’s family and YouTube channel, citing a statement by Kim Se-ui of Garosero during a press conference held on May 7.
During the press conference, Se-ui played an audio that he claimed was a voice recording of Sae Ron. In the audio, the actress confessed about her romantic relationship with Soo-hyun, which allegedly began while she was still in middle school.
The YouTuber also stated that Soo-hyun offered 4 billion KRW to the Bloodhound actress, asking her not to leak the audio and later resorted to assault after the offer was allegedly refused.
However, the agency and lawyers of Queen of Tears’ actor denied the allegation made by the YouTuber by claiming that the audio was an AI-generated voice recording. The agency, which filed a complaint based on forged evidence, said that Garosero and Sae-ron’s family went ahead and spread ‘false information'.
They further claimed that the parties breached legal and ethical standards by presenting manipulated/forged evidence, including the AI-generated audio file, at a press conference.
Earlier in April, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency filed the first lawsuit against the actress’s family and Garosero Research Institute, accusing them of defamation under the Sexual Crimes Special Act, seeking approximately 12 million KRW for damage charges.
Earlier in May, Kim Sae-ron’s family accused Kim Soo-hyun of indulging in sexual acts with the former when she was 14, an allegation that Soo-hyun’s agency denied later.
Kim Sae-ron’s family accused the 37-year-old actor of dating her when she was a minor. The actor dismissed the allegations in his first official statement regarding the controversy at a press conference last month.
Kim Sae-ron, who gained popularity as a child actor, passed away on February 16, which coincidentally is Soo-hyun’s birthday. According to police reports, the 24-year-old star died by suicide at her residence.
Soo-hyun, who made his acting debut in 2007 with a supporting role in the TV series Kimchi Cheese Smile, tasted fame with popular shows It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, My Love From Star and Queen of Tears.