Actor Kim Soo-hyun acknowledged that the KakaoTalk messages and videos from 2018 released by the family of the late Kim Sae-ron are "true," but he drew a line stating that he was not in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron during that period. However, the public's reaction to this position has been one of confusion, indicating that further repercussions are expected.

On the 2nd, Kim Soo-hyun's agency Goldmedalist issued an additional statement, clarifying the photos, videos, and KakaoTalk messages that the family of the late Kim Sae-ron had released through the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute" (hereinafter referred to as "Gaseyeon").

So far, "Gaseyeon" has claimed that the late Kim Sae-ron was in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for six years, starting from 2015, when she was a minor, based on information provided by the family. In contrast, Kim Soo-hyun's side has denied this, stating that they were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020.

"Gaseyeon" has released photos and videos of physical intimacy, claiming they were taken when the late Kim Sae-ron was a minor, along with additional letters and KakaoTalk messages. In response, Kim Soo-hyun's side clarified that the photos were taken after Kim Sae-ron had become an adult, continuing the sharp conflict.

During a press conference held on the 31st, Kim Soo-hyun stated regarding the KakaoTalk messages from 2016 and 2018 released by "Gaseyeon, "The individuals in the 2016 and 2018 KakaoTalk messages are different people. In order to prove this, I submitted the KakaoTalk conversations from 2016 and 2018, as well as my conversations with acquaintances from this year, to a verification agency for scientific analysis. As a result, the agency concluded that the individuals from 2016 and 2018 were not the same person."

However, according to the analysis report, it was stated, "The sample size of the analysis is limited, and there are limitations in interpretation. Analyzing a larger amount of data could yield different results." Furthermore, the agency judged that "It is highly likely that the 2018 and 2025 messages were written by the same person," thus adding weight to suspicions of Kim Soo-hyun's grooming of a minor, considering that the late Kim Sae-ron was 17 years old at the time and Kim Soo-hyun was 30 years old while serving in the military.

In response, Kim Soo-hyun's agency distributed a rebuttal on the 2nd, reiterating that the photos and KakaoTalk messages released by "Gaseyeon" were from after Kim Sae-ron became an adult. However, they acknowledged the 2018 video and KakaoTalk messages as "true." The video was filmed at 11:20 p.m. on June 20, 2018, showing Kim Soo-hyun eating the spicy chicken stew made by Kim Sae-ron. Notably, there was even soju on the table, causing a stir.

In relation to this, the agency stated, "It is true that it was filmed in June 2018. The location is an APT. where Kim Soo-hyun lives with his family," while adding, "Kim Sae-ron visited during Kim Soo-hyun's vacation, and his family was also present. At that time, the two were not in a romantic relationship." Regarding the KakaoTalk messages, they stated, "It is indeed Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron's KakaoTalk. I communicated via KakaoTalk during my two-week vacation in April 2018, but we did not meet," emphasizing again that they were not in a relationship at that time and that they began dating after the summer of 2019.

Initially, Kim Soo-hyun completely denied any relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron but acknowledged their relationship after evidence of dating surfaced, maintaining that he did not date her when she was a minor, firmly denying the "grooming suspicions." However, even while acknowledging that the 2018 video is true, he claims, "We were not in a romantic relationship," which has led the public to respond with confusion. Some commenters express disbelief, stating that if he let a minor female junior into his house late at night to cook, "that would be even stranger." They argue that the credibility of his claim that they were not dating, despite the acknowledgment of the 2018 video and KakaoTalk messages being true, is diminished.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun's agency stated during a press conference on the 31st that they filed a lawsuit against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron and "Gaseyeon" for violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communication Network Utilization and Information Protection, and for defamation. They also filed a lawsuit seeking a total of 12 billion won in damages. Additionally, in an further statement on the 2nd, they mentioned, "Yesterday (April 1, 2025), we also filed an additional complaint against Kim Se-yeol, the operator of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, for violation of the Stalking Penal Act," stating, "We plan to respond sternly to criminal acts involving the dissemination of false information by Gaseyeon in the future."

[Photo] OSEN DB, Goldmedalist

[OSEN]