Kim Sae-ron's Mother Speaks Out for Justice

The mother of the late actress Kim Sae-ron has finally broken her silence, asserting that her daughter never lied about working at a coffee shop and was subjected to bullying by the public. She expressed a desire for her daughter's honor to be restored.

On March 14, the 'Garo Sero Research Institute' (가로세로연구소), claiming to represent Kim Sae-ron's family, released a statement purportedly from her mother. The institute noted that Kim's mother preferred not to reveal her voice, so they used AI technology to present her statement.

In her statement, Kim Sae-ron's mother said, "Sae-ron has never lied to the media. She never pretended to work part-time or was just a girl who enjoyed nightlife with friends. She did not create false dating rumors with manipulated photos. However, Lee Jin-ho and the cyber reporters have fabricated false articles that dragged the life of a promising actress and her family into hell. Furthermore, Gold Medalist labeled her as a 'crazy girl' who lied about her intentions in the photos she posted. Now that Sae-ron is gone, there are outrageous false articles claiming she was a breadwinner for her family and that they squandered hundreds of billions earned from her. These articles are not worth seeing or reading."

She continued, "The ones who trampled on my fallen child and kicked her while she was down are Lee Jin-ho and the cyber reporters. There were also irresponsible media outlets that spread the false narratives written by Lee Jin-ho and the cyber reporters, along with various malicious commenters who supported them. Sae-ron endured this for three years, sleepless and lonely. This is akin to the collective bullying she faced from the public due to the false articles triggered by Lee Jin-ho."

She added, "If Professor Kwon Young-chan from the Korean Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association had not reached out to us, and if Kim Se-yi from Garo Sero had not offered help, our family would have been scapegoats to Lee Jin-ho and the cyber reporters, carrying the burden of Sae-ron's tarnished reputation for life."

In conclusion, she stated, "The actions of Lee Jin-ho and his associates are criminal. It is difficult to hold them accountable for murder within the outdated legal framework. We, the bereaved family, wish to restore the honor that Sae-ron had as an actress during her lifetime, correct the false articles that are entirely untrue, and hope that legal and institutional measures are established to prevent such incidents from happening again, ensuring that the media fulfills its responsibilities."

Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on February 16, at the age of 25. A friend who was supposed to meet her discovered her unresponsive and reported it. Police stated that there were no signs of foul play.

In connection with this, the Garo Sero Institute alleged that actor Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron since her minor years, raising suspicions of 'grooming.' They also claimed that Gold Medalist pressured Kim Sae-ron with a 700 million won compensation notice and that Kim Soo-hyun turned a blind eye to it.

In response, Gold Medalist issued an urgent statement on March 14, denying the allegations and clarifying that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, when Kim Sae-ron was an adult. They also refuted claims regarding the compensation notice, stating it was merely a legal procedure related to a penalty from Kim Sae-ron's DUI incident and not a demand for payment.