Actor Kim Soo-hyun has directly addressed the controversy surrounding the death of the late Kim Sae-ron, holding an emotionally charged press conference. However, the tears that captivated domestic and international audiences faced backlash instead. Does he truly have no way out?

On the afternoon of the 31st of last month, Kim Soo-hyun held an emergency press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo District, Seoul, appearing before the media with a gaunt face. Kim Soo-hyun's side has filed a lawsuit for damages amounting to 12 billion won against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron, an unidentified person who claims to be her aunt, and the operators of the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute" (hereafter referred to as Gaseyeon) for defamation related to violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.

At the event, Kim Soo-hyun read a prepared statement while shedding tears endlessly. He spent a significant portion of the press conference explaining and expressing concerns about the divide between the human Kim Soo-hyun and the star Kim Soo-hyun. He said, "When 'The Queen of Tears' aired, there were so many things I had to uphold as the lead actor. If I were to acknowledge my relationship with someone I dated years ago, what would happen? I have always chosen the star Kim Soo-hyun whenever the choices between the human Kim Soo-hyun and the star Kim Soo-hyun diverged," describing himself as a coward.

He strongly denied the allegations regarding the late Kim's underage relationships, which are the most significant points of contention, emphasizing that the individuals conversing with her in the KakaoTalk messages from 2016 and 2018 disclosed by the family are different people. He stated that he submitted these KakaoTalk messages to a scientific statement analysis institution (Truebaum Statement Analysis Center), and he raised his voice, saying, "If the evidence that the family possesses is truly factual, we request that they submit all materials to law enforcement and get verified through legal procedures."

Kim Soo-hyun claims that he dated Kim Sae-ron for about a year and broke up roughly four years before 'The Queen of Tears' aired. He said, "I will accept any criticism regarding the choices I made. However, that doesn't mean that all untruths become true. What I didn’t do is what I didn’t do. I won’t ask you to believe me. I will make sure to prove it," as he cried.

Although it was a bold press conference for Kim Soo-hyun, public sentiment remains cold. Even profiler Bae Sang-hoon expressed the opinion that the 'KakaoTalk author identification analysis' released by Kim Soo-hyun's side lacks credibility. He pointed out, "There are many variables. It is misleading to present it as something very scientific, utilizing a private statement analysis center."

Kim Soo-hyun made his debut in 2007 with the MBC sitcom 'Kimchi Cheese Smile' and gradually rose to stardom through KBS youth drama 'Jungle Fish', the 2009 short film 'The Worst Friends', SBS special drama 'Father's House', the 2010 SBS dramas 'Will It Snow on Christmas?' and 'Giant', KBS's 'Dream High' in 2011, MBC's 'The Moon Embracing the Sun' in 2012, and the movie 'The Thieves'.

In 2013, a full-fledged path to success opened up. He played the role of Do Min-jun in SBS's 'My Love from the Star', which gained him syndrome-level popularity, and subsequently solidified his position as a top actor with works such as 'Producers', 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay', and 'One Day'. Last year, he swept ratings, buzz, and popularity in Korea and abroad with the drama 'The Queen of Tears', earning praise that he is indeed Kim Soo-hyun.

However, he faced the worst crisis of his life due to his relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron. The family of the late Kim Sae-ron, who passed away in February, alleged that Kim Sae-ron was involved with Kim Soo-hyun since her underage years and raised suspicions of 'grooming crimes'. Additionally, Kim Soo-hyun's agency pressured him with a notice regarding damages of 700 million won due to Kim Sae-ron's DUI incident, claiming that Kim Soo-hyun had been negligent.

In response, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, denied the related allegations, stating that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron from the summer of 2019, when she was an adult, until the fall of 2020. They also argued that the notice was simply left during the process of handling the penalty fees due to Kim Sae-ron's DUI accident for legal procedures and that they had not pressured her for reimbursement.

Nevertheless, the family continues to expose memories of Kim Soo-hyun and the deceased, claiming grooming crimes. Although Kim Soo-hyun held a tearful press conference and rebutted these allegations, public criticism remains fierce. To make matters worse, there is skepticism regarding the sincerity of his tears, with many not hiding their disapproving looks.

Disney+ has effectively postponed the release of Kim Soo-hyun's upcoming work 'Knock-Off' indefinitely, maintaining a stance of "delayed release." Attention is focused on how Kim Soo-hyun will resolve this situation.

[Photo] OSEN DB

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