South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun on Monday denied allegations that he dated the actress Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, breaking down in tears as he said he could not “admit what is not true.”
Brands including Prada have cut ties with the actor amid the controversy over his relationship with Kim Sae-ron, who was found dead in February in a suspected suicide. She was 24.
The 37-year-old Kim said he dated Kim Sae-ron five years ago for about a year, but not when she was underage. He said a YouTube expose released earlier this month cited testimonies and evidence that were false, including screenshots of messages that could not be from the actress.
Kim Sae-ron was born in July 2000. The age of consent in South Korea is 16.
“I did not date the deceased when she was a minor. And it is also not true that the deceased made a tragic choice because of me turning a blind eye,” Kim told a press conference on Monday, alluding to claims that their relationship led to her suicide.
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Lawyers representing Kim Soo-hyun and his agency said on Monday they had sued people involved in the YouTube expose for a total of 12 billion won ($8.15 million) in damages, and reported them to the authorities for defamation and violation of the information protection act.
A lawyer representing the relatives of Kim Sae-ron could not immediately be reached for comment.
Kim Sae-ron was one of South Korea’s most promising actresses. She began her acting career at the age of 9, debuting in the 2009 movie “A Brand New Life.” The following year, Kim starred in “The Man from Nowhere.” The action-thriller became South Korea’s highest-grossing film of 2010, outperforming “Inception” and “Iron Man 2” in the country, according to Box Office Mojo.
Kim was also known for movies like “I Am a Dad” and “A Girl at My Door,” the latter of which screened at Cannes Film Festival in 2014. On the television side, Kim starred in shows like “Hi! School: Love On” and “Secret Healer,” also known as “Mirror of the Witch,” and appeared in the Netflix series “Bloodhounds.”
In 2022, her acting career took a hit after she was involved in a drunk driving incident. In a statement on Instagram at the time, Kim apologized for making a “big mistake in a drunken state,” according to a translation from the Korean entertainment website Soompi.
Kim Soo-hyun rose to fame in South Korea and China over his role in hit South Korean drama series “My Love from the Star” and “Queen of Tears.”
Suicide Lifeline: If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time, day or night, or chat online.
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY; Ju-min Park, Reuters
