Actor Kim Soo-hyun has expressed his stance on the allegations that arose following the death of Kim Sae-ron.
On the 31st, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, regarding allegations of a relationship with a minor connected to Kim Sae-ron's death.
On this day, Kim Soo-hyun said, "I consider myself a coward. I feel like I have always been too busy protecting what I have. I could not even trust the goodwill coming my way and was always afraid of what I might lose or what harm might come to me, so it took me a long time to stand here."
He continued, "I wondered what would have happened if I had just said everything from the beginning at this venue. If I had done that, the fans who love me and the company staff who worked hard for this press conference wouldn’t have suffered so much." He added, "Every time my and the deceased's private lives were exposed, I thought that 'let's just talk about it all tomorrow', 'let's speak directly and end this hellish situation.' But every time, I hesitated. I wondered how my decision would affect those around me and if it would lead to something wrong for myself and everyone else."
Kim Soo-hyun said, "When the drama 'Queen of Tears' aired, the deceased posted a photo taken with me. The two of us dated for about a year, four years before 'Queen of Tears' aired, five years ago. However, at that time, I denied the fact that we were dating. I think it’s only natural for you to criticize my choice. I understand if you cannot believe what I am saying about the events between the deceased and me. However, this is the only opportunity I have to speak in this situation. I would be really grateful if you could just listen to my story once."
He continued, "I have received an overwhelming amount of love since becoming an actor. Originally, I was someone who didn't have much, but now I have become someone with too much to protect. Even when 'Queen of Tears' aired, I had many things I had to uphold as the lead actor. I thought about what would happen if I acknowledged the relationship with someone I had dated several years ago. What would happen to all the staff who spend nights working with me, the production company that is betting everything on this project, and the people in my company? Every time the choice between human Kim Soo-hyun and star Kim Soo-hyun diverged, I have always chosen the path of star Kim Soo-hyun."
So I was scared every day. Because I am star Kim Soo-hyun, I was afraid of what would happen if all the choices I made to protect myself turned into poison for me. However, even if I could go back to when 'Queen of Tears' was airing, I would make the same choice again.
Meanwhile, since the death of Kim Sae-ron on Feb. 16, Kim Soo-hyun has been entangled in various allegations, including a relationship with a minor and debt repayment demands. Kim Sae-ron's family claimed through the YouTube channel 'Garosero Research Institute' that Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for about six years, starting when she was a minor. Earlier, Kim Soo-hyun's side, which had stated that the rumors of dating with Kim Sae-ron were "not true," clarified that their relationship began after Kim Sae-ron turned 18, from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, and also denied claims that they ignored Kim Sae-ron's financial problems.
In response to Kim Soo-hyun's claims, Kim Sae-ron's family released mobile message content from 2016 between Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun, which was restored through forensics, DM conversations Kim Sae-ron had with acquaintances in 2024, and a letter that Kim Sae-ron wrote but could not deliver to Kim Soo-hyun. The family stated, "We aim to put an end to the controversy by presenting this evidence."
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