It has been 56 days since Kim Sae-ron passed away, but his name continues to be a topic of discussion, raising concerns that the invasion of privacy for the deceased has gone too far.

Kim Sae-ron was found dead at his home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Feb. 16. The bereaved family claimed that the deceased had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for over six years since 2015, when he was a minor, and revealed private matters such as photos, texts, and letters exchanged through the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute." The family specifically argued that the deceased faced difficulties due to pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's management company regarding a "700 million won" repayment, claiming it contributed to the cause of his death. They also stated that the YouTuber A caused great mental distress to the deceased, claiming this also contributed to the background of his death.

Kim Soo-hyun rebutted in tears. He held a press conference on the 31st of last month and said, "I did not date the deceased when he was a minor," asserting that he and the deceased were together for about a year after she became an adult. He also stated, "It's not true that the deceased made a tragic choice due to the pressure of debt from my negligence and our agency."

Since the deceased's passing and over the course of 56 days, his private life has been scrutinized at a NANO level. At the center of this is YouTuber A. After being sued for defamation by the bereaved family, A claimed that Kim Sae-ron married a civilian man in New York on Jan. 8 and has raised allegations about inheritance while digging into the deceased's private life.

A presented evidence, including photos that Kim Sae-ron posted on personal social media with the caption "Marry," and released a recording that included conversations between agency official B and a woman presumed to be Kim Sae-ron. After posting the photo, Kim Sae-ron's side explained, "It was a snap taken with friends," but the woman presumed to be Kim Sae-ron said in the recording, "It is correct that we (got married) already. We did it abroad."

Following this, a media outlet exclusively published an interview with Kim Sae-ron's ex-boyfriend C. In the interview, C claimed that the deceased's death was not due to Kim Soo-hyun but rather because of "New York man" D, who she married earlier this year in the U.S., and even prepared a fact verification document to guarantee the credibility of his tips and testimony.

According to the interview, Kim Sae-ron disclosed the circumstances surrounding her marriage to D, stating, "At first, there was no expression, and I was so lonely because I couldn’t rely on anyone while going through tough days. I needed someone who would listen to my stories and help me solve problems. But that was only for a short time. Afterward, there was sharing of KakaoTalk chats and photos, hacking into my Instagram to post pictures, being hit and insulted, and it was terrifying. That’s why I couldn’t break up, and I was afraid this would harm you."

With the revelation that the deceased dated Kim Soo-hyun from her minor years, the bereaved family has been disclosing photos, letters, and texts exchanged between the two, raising the level of exposure of Kim Sae-ron's private life. In particular, YouTuber A claimed that Kim Sae-ron was in a relationship with singer E from early 2021 until May 2022. A stated that Kim Sae-ron sent an anonymous coffee truck to the music video filming location of E and did not hide their relationship by liking posts on social media, but after breaking up with E, she was said to have struggled and caused a drunk driving accident on May 18, 2022.

Netizens speculated that E is singer WOODZ. In response, EDAM Entertainment, his agency, said, "We cannot confirm as it is a private matter. We ask for your understanding." WOODZ enlisted in January and is approaching his discharge in July.

As 56 days have passed, the deceased's private life continues to be investigated. It is anticipated that as Kim Soo-hyun proceeds with legal action against the bereaved family, the court battles will be prolonged, and further revelations about private matters may add to the sorrow.

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