On March 17, attorney Bu Ji-seok, the legal representative of Kim Sae-ron’s family, and Kwon Young-chan, head of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association, held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
Kwon stated, “On March 25, 2024, Kim Sae-ron’s agency sent her a second legal notice. The final part of the document contained a threat, stating that legal action would be taken if she posted anything on social media (that might cause damage to “Queen of Tears”). But what does this have to do with “Queen of Tears”? Why should she have been responsible for that? Imagine how much a young person must have worried over this issue.”
He continued, “Kim Sae-ron tried to protect Kim Soo-hyun until the very end. She once asked her mother, ‘Mom, what should I do if something like this happens in the future?’ She deeply worried about whether or not to undergo forensic analysis. This is a statement directly from her younger sibling. Kim Soo-Hyun’s side reportedly suggested her to not use KakaoTalk and use Telegram instead.”
Addressing concerns from the bereaved family, he added, “Please do not do anything to the family. What they fear most is the impact on Kim Sae-ron’s two younger siblings. Both had dreams of becoming actors, but one has already given up after witnessing how tragically their sister passed away. The other is still lost and unsure of what to do. Please, do not cause more pain to the family.”
Regarding legal action against Kim Soo-hyun, attorney Bu Ji-seok clarified, “We are not currently pursuing legal action against Kim Soo-hyun, so this has not been used as legal evidence. However, when people see this legal notice, they may naturally question whether there is some causal connection between Kim Sae-ron’s death and Kim Soo-hyun’s side.”
Kim Se-ui, the representative of Garo Sero Research Institute, commented, “Today’s press conference was related to the lawsuit against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho. A separate press conference regarding legal action against Kim Soo-hyun will be held soon.” He further stated, “The legal notice will also be submitted as evidence that Lee Jin-ho fabricated false information in his videos.”
Since March 10, Garo Sero Research Institute has been claiming that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from 2015 to 2021. They have been revealing photos, messages, and letters exchanged between the two as part of their accusations.
In response, Kim Soo-hyun’s side issued statements on March 14 and 15 denying the allegations. His agency, Gold Medalist, claimed, “The two only dated from 2019 to 2020, after Kim Sae-ron became an adult.” They also released details about Kim Sae-ron’s contract termination fees and argued that the photos released by Garo Sero Research Institute were taken in 2019.
