Actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron are embroiled in a controversy surrounding their past, escalating into a battle of truths. The controversy centers around the deceased's past actions, eliciting feelings of regret.

On the morning of the 25th, a man identified as 'A,' who is said to be Kim Sae-ron's former lover, mentioned 'the New York man' as the main culprit who made the late actress's sudden death and final moments distressing, through a media outlet. This drew attention with claims from Garosero Research Institute and Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family that another former lover of the deceased, Kim Soo-hyun, and his agency, Gold Medalist, were the cause.

'A' claimed that Kim Sae-ron and her family had a strained relationship to the extent that they lacked communication when she was alive. He also emphasized that the bereaved family’s ignorance of 'the New York man' serves as evidence. Particularly, 'A' asserted that the late Kim Sae-ron was unable to truly connect, comfort, or rely on her family during her painful moments. In this regard, he criticized the claims made by the bereaved family through 'Gaseyeon' as the cause of Kim Sae-ron's distressing end.

This assertive statement directly refutes the various suspicions surrounding Kim Sae-ron's death and Kim Soo-hyun's past. Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family had previously demanded an apology from Kim Soo-hyun and his current agency, Gold Medalist, through 'Gaseyeon,' following the deceased's passing on Feb. 16, and has continued to issue strong criticisms.

'Gaseyeon' and Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family claim that Kim Soo-hyun dated the deceased from her third year in middle school, when she was a minor, for about six years. Furthermore, it was asserted that Gold Medalist pressured Kim Sae-ron by sending a notice regarding a compensation payment of 700 million won that emerged after her drunk driving incident last year, and that Kim Soo-hyun neglected the situation. Additionally, there were allegations that private photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were leaked, some of which included intimate snapshots, igniting further controversy.

Such suspicions quickly escalated into a 'grooming crime' controversy directed at Kim Soo-hyun. As Kim Soo-hyun is a beloved actor in South Korea and worldwide, criticisms aimed at him flooded various domestic and international social media and online communities. Consequently, the MBC entertainment program 'Good Day,' in which Kim Soo-hyun was appearing, had to suspend and edit his segments, and the release of Kim Soo-hyun's upcoming Disney+ series, 'Knock Off,' was entirely postponed during the final stages of filming.

However, team Kim Soo-hyun has consistently rebutted these allegations as 'defamation based on false facts.' Notably, regarding a dating rumor sparked by a photo released last year, they had previously stated it was 'not true' but later reiterated that they dated from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020. In relation to this, they explained through an exclusive report by OSEN that 'by the time the dating rumor emerged last year, it had already been four years since their breakup, and both individuals found it difficult to acknowledge their relationship as celebrities.'

Moreover, Gold Medalist emphasized that they did not pressure Kim Sae-ron for repayment regarding the notice sent but rather that it was a legal procedure to account for her penalty as her former agency. Additionally, they criticized the various photos of Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun, asserting that they were taken after both had become adults and therefore fall under privacy infringement.

Amidst this, new claims surrounding Kim Sae-ron's past actions have emerged. Accusations concerning the past of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron have plunged into a battle of truths. However, there are concerns among some that the accusations of grooming crime against Kim Soo-hyun for having dated Kim Sae-ron, who is 12 years younger during her minor years, have transformed into an investigation into the deceased’s past, warning about the widening scope of the issue. Meanwhile, there has been no additional official statement from Kim Soo-hyun's side regarding the claims made by 'A.'

[Photo] OSEN DB.

[OSEN]