On March 12, 2025, Kbizoom reported that the death of actress Kim Sae-ron coincided with the 37th birthday of actor Kim Soo-hyun, further fueling allegations about their past romantic relationship.
On February 16, 2025, 24-year-old actress Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her Seoul home. Authorities reported no signs of foul play and later confirmed her death as a s*icide. Kim began her career as a child model in 2001 and gained prominence with roles in films like A Brand New Life (2009) and The Man from Nowhere (2010).
However, her career faced challenges following a drunk-driving incident in May 2022, leading to public backlash and legal consequences. Despite efforts to revive her career, including completing the film Guitar Man in late 2024, Kim struggled with financial and personal issues leading up to her death.
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Garosero's accusations against Kim Soo-hyun and interview with Kim Sae-ron's aunt
The YouTube channel Garosero, known for its investigative content, aired a segment on March 10, 2025, accusing Kim Soo-hyun of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with Kim Sae-ron when she was underage.
The channel claimed that the relationship began in 2015 when Kim Soo-hyun was 27 and the Bloodhounds actress was 15.
In the same segment, Garosero interviewed Kim Sae-ron's aunt, who confirmed the claims of the actors' past relationship. She stated that the relationship ruined the late actress's mental health and her career path.
The aunt was worried about the power dynamics in the relationship and the pressure on Kim Sae-ron from inside the entertainment industry. She revealed that Kim Soo-hyun's company, Gold Medalist, initially offered to pay 700 million won ($481,627.63) in damages for her 2022 DUI incident.
However, in March 2024, the company served the Bloodhounds actress with a debt clearance legal notice. Gold Medalist reportedly forced the late actress to pay the amount at once. The aunt revealed that Kim Sae-ron tried to contact Kim Soo-hyun, but he never answered her calls or texts.
Additionally, in April 2024, the Bloodhounds actress uploaded an old photo of her and Kim Soo-hyun on Instagram, which she later deleted. The aunt told Garosero that Sae-ron did so because she wanted to get a reaction from the actor so that he would finally contact her.
On March 11, 2025, Kbizoom reported that the late actress texted Kim Soo-hyun, pleading and asking him to give her some time to pay off the debt. The text was reportedly sent on March 19, 2024, and the screenshot of the message was revealed by Garosero.
In the text, she wrote (translated):
“Oppa, it’s Sae-ron. I received the certification, and they [Gold Medalist] said they are going to sue me. They told me they would give me plenty of time, so I’ve been working hard to prepare for my comeback, and I plan to repay a percentage from each project little by little."
The late actress continued:
"I’m not saying I won’t pay, but if you demand 700 million won right now, I really can’t do it. It’s not that I refuse to pay, I just can’t afford it at the moment. But do I really have to go through a lawsuit? Please save me… Please, give me some time.”
On March 12, 2025, media outlet Dispatch reported that they contacted Gold Medalist in February 2025 to gain insight into why the actress was served the debt settlement notice. The agency responded by stating that they had "no intentions of receiving money from Kim Sae-ron."
"We had no intentions of receiving money from Kim Sae-ron. We thought we wouldn’t get it. We only followed basic procedures because there could have been a case of malpractice brought up," the company stated.
Dispatch reportedly pressed the agency further to learn if the late actress was aware that the notice was just a formality, and Gold Medalist's response indicated that they never informed Kim Sae-ron about it.
"From what we know, her manager got in contact with her at that time. We needed the documents for it," the agency responded.
Through Garosero, the Bloodhounds actress's family claimed that they would reveal over 200 photos that would prove that Kim Soo-hyun dated her when she was a minor. Furthermore, the Garosero channel also demanded an apology from the Queen of Tears actor for allegedly dating a minor.
