Kim Sae-ron's Mother Addresses Controversy in Emotional Statement

On March 14, 2025, the YouTube channel '가로세로연구소' (Garo Sero Research Institute) shared a statement purportedly from the mother of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. This announcement came during a live broadcast where the channel continued to criticize actor Kim Soo-hyun. The statement was read using AI voice technology, as Kim Sae-ron's mother preferred to remain anonymous.

Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on February 16, 2025, at the age of 25. Reports indicate that a friend discovered her unresponsive and called for help. Authorities have stated that there were no signs of foul play.

In recent discussions, '가로세로연구소' has accused Kim Soo-hyun of engaging in a 'grooming' relationship with Kim Sae-ron during her teenage years. They also claimed that Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, pressured Kim Sae-ron with a 700 million won compensation demand related to a drunk driving incident, alleging that Kim Soo-hyun ignored the situation.

However, Gold Medalist issued a statement denying these allegations, clarifying that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 until the fall of 2020, when Kim Sae-ron was an adult. They also explained that the legal documents sent were standard procedure related to the financial implications of Kim Sae-ron's incident, not a demand for payment.

The following is the full statement from Kim Sae-ron's mother:

"Hello, we are the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. After much contemplation, we decided to release this statement as we have seen our family's intentions distorted and misrepresented. Our goal is to restore the honor of our child, which has been tarnished by numerous false articles. We also wish to establish a legal foundation to hold accountable the malicious YouTubers and cyber bullies who continue to perpetrate these crimes.

Sae-ron never lied to the media, nor did she engage in any deceptive behavior. She was not a girl who only enjoyed nightlife with friends, nor did she create false dating rumors through manipulated photos. However, individuals like Lee Jin-ho and cyber bullies have fabricated stories that dragged a promising young actress and her family into hell. Gold Medalist has also misrepresented her intentions, labeling her as a deceitful girl.

Now that Sae-ron is gone, there are outrageous claims that she was a breadwinner for her family and that they squandered her earnings. The public is witnessing how a few photos provided to '가세연' have been manipulated to escalate this situation.

While powerful companies and skilled lawyers can respond to such allegations, Sae-ron had no one but her family during her struggles. The sharp arrows of false articles targeted our young daughter, who had just turned twenty, and she bore the brunt of the vicious insults alone.

The actions of Lee Jin-ho and cyber bullies have trampled on our fallen child. Media outlets irresponsibly spread the false narratives created by these individuals without verifying the facts. Despite our pleas for help, no media outlet offered assistance during our time of grief. Instead, we faced intrusive YouTubers at our daughter's funeral and received calls from Lee Jin-ho during our mourning period. Can these people be considered human? Can you forgive such individuals?

If it weren't for Professor Kwon Young-chan from the Korean Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association and Kim Se-yi from '가세연' reaching out to us, our family would have been left as scapegoats, carrying the burden of Sae-ron's tarnished reputation for life.

The behavior of Lee Jin-ho and his associates constitutes a crime. While it is difficult to hold them legally accountable for murder under current laws, we, the family, hope to restore the honor that Sae-ron had as an actress and correct the false narratives that have emerged. We wish to establish legal and institutional measures to ensure that such incidents do not happen again and that the media fulfills its responsibilities."