Kim Sae-ron's Family Demands Public Apology from Kim Soo-hyun
The family of the late Kim Sae-ron has reiterated their demand for a public apology from actor Kim Soo-hyun. On March 15, they released a statement via the YouTube channel 'Garo Sero Research Institute' (가로세로연구소), outlining their requests. They are seeking acknowledgment from Kim Soo-hyun regarding his alleged relationship with Kim Sae-ron during her minor years, as well as an official apology for claims made by his agency, Gold Medalist, that they had not dated in the past three years. Additionally, they want recognition of Kim Sae-ron's contributions as a founding member of the company and an apology for the pressure related to a 700 million won compensation demand stemming from her DUI incident. The family emphasized that their focus is solely on obtaining a formal apology from Kim Soo-hyun and his agency, clarifying that the omission of his name in previous statements was to concentrate on warnings regarding Lee Jin-ho and cyber harassment.
The ongoing dispute has escalated, with Kim Sae-ron's family alleging that she was groomed by Kim Soo-hyun during her teenage years. They claim that Gold Medalist pressured them with legal documents related to Kim Sae-ron's DUI, which they argue Kim Soo-hyun ignored. In response, Gold Medalist has denied the allegations, stating that Kim Soo-hyun only dated Kim Sae-ron from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, and that the legal documents were merely procedural and not a demand for payment. Despite these denials, the family continues to counter these claims through 'Garo Sero Research Institute', leading to public scrutiny of both Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron's private lives. Kim Soo-hyun's representatives expressed concern that publicly airing these disputes is inappropriate for both the deceased and her family. Nevertheless, the family has stated that they had no choice but to release photos of Kim Soo-hyun taken during their relationship to substantiate their claims against Lee Jin-ho, further intensifying the situation.
