Actor Kim Soo-hyun is facing the greatest crisis of his life and is engaged in a difficult battle.
On the 15th, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, claimed, "Malicious posts and comments directed at Kim Soo-hyun, as well as false information, are being indiscriminately posted and spread online. In particular, there are continuous and repetitive posts of unfounded speculative writings and unverified claims that lead the public to have a distorted perception and are damaging the artist's reputation."
They stated, "Based on the active reporting and self-monitoring of fans regarding the malicious acts, we submitted a complaint to the investigative agency on the 14th for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act and for insult under the Criminal Act," and emphasized, "As the identity of the cyber Shinwon is being revealed and legal responses are underway, we will also respond strongly to overseas platforms such as YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) in coordination with overseas legal representatives."
The family of the late Kim Sae-ron, who passed away in February, claimed that Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since her minor years, raising continuous suspicions of "grooming crimes" through the Garosero Research Institute, a YouTube channel. Moreover, Kim Soo-hyun's agency pressured by sending a certified document regarding Kim Sae-ron's drunk driving crime, which involved 700 million won in damages, claiming that Kim Soo-hyun had turned a blind eye to this.
In the process, the past private lives of Kim Soo-hyun and the deceased were exposed online. Kim Soo-hyun, who solidified his title as a top actor after sweeping viewership ratings, buzz, and domestic and international popularity with last year's drama "The Queen of Tears," is facing the greatest crisis of his acting life. Furthermore, the release of his upcoming Disney+ drama "Knock-Off" has essentially been postponed indefinitely.
Accordingly, Kim Soo-hyun held an emergency press conference on the afternoon of the 31st of last month at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where he filed a lawsuit claiming 12 billion won in damages for defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Protection against Information Theft against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron, a self-proclaimed aunt, and the operators of "Gaseyeon."
He strongly denied the allegations regarding his relationship with the deceased during her minor years, stating, "I will accept any criticism of the choices I made. However, just because something is untrue does not make it fact. What I did not do is what I did not do. I will not ask anyone to believe me. I will prove it."
The list of opponents Kim Soo-hyun must fight continues to grow endlessly. Nevertheless, the agency firmly stated, "Malicious slander, dissemination of false information, personal attacks, and sexual harassment that are rampant in online communities and social media are crimes that cannot be taken lightly," affirming their commitment to protect Kim Soo-hyun.
Additionally, they highlighted, "The behavior of 'cyber Shinwon,' which creates fake news and leads to cyberbullying by taking advantage of anonymity, is also serious," and declared, "We plan to continue filing additional complaints against the malicious posts that harm the artist's reputation and will do our utmost to protect the artist's rights through strong legal actions against clear criminal acts."
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