As allegations arise that the late Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun since middle school, a recorded conversation asserting this has been made public, prompting repercussions. YouTuber Lee Jin-ho refuted the claims, stating that the content is fabricated.
On the afternoon of the 7th, a press conference was jointly held at the Space Share Samsung Station Center in Samsung-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, by the legal representative for the late Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family, attorney Bu Ji-seok (Law Firm Buyou), and Kim Se-yeong, the head of the YouTube channel 'Garosero Research Institute'. At this event, Kim Se-yeong stated, “A month before Kim Sae-ron's death, in January 2025, she confessed to the informant about her relationship with Kim Soo-hyun at a Starbucks in New Jersey, USA,” and revealed related recorded conversation videos.
In the released recording, Kim Sae-ron claimed, "I dated Su-hyun oppa since middle school, and after a brief relationship in college, we broke up. We started dating while I was still a minor." She also exposed, "Gold medalist types are really scary, and Su-hyun oppa boasted about his sexual relations with other female idols and even showed lewd pictures." The Gaseyeon side stated, "On the same day, the bereaved family filed a complaint against Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act and false accusation through this law firm."
Additionally, it was asserted that after the informant became aware of the existence of this recording, Kim Soo-hyun's side offered a bribe of several hundred million won, and the informant was allegedly attacked with a weapon, with suspicious vehicles reportedly stalking near Kim Sae-ron's aunt's house.
In response, YouTuber Lee Jin-ho held an emergency press conference at the same location that same day and strongly refuted the claims, stating that the recording is a false document manipulated by AI. Lee Jin-ho remarked, “The informant who delivered the recording is a 'New Jersey scammer' who engaged in voice phishing and threats, and Kim Se-yeong was deceived by the manipulated material and flew all the way to the U.S. to obtain it.”
He further stated, “This scammer used deep learning technology to imitate Kim Sae-ron's voice to produce the recording file, and even approached Kim Soo-hyun's side to demand money,” criticizing, “Kim Se-yeong released the manipulated file without even the slightest verification.” Lee Jin-ho explained that the photos provided by the scammer claiming to have been attacked could easily be found on Google Images.
The late Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home on Feb. 16. The bereaved family has claimed a six-year relationship with Kim Soo-hyun, to which Kim Soo-hyun's side has responded, “The claim of a relationship during her minor years is completely false,” and has filed a damage lawsuit amounting to 12 billion won.
Lee Jin-ho stated, “Kim Se-yeong's exposure is a repeated false manipulation, and many celebrities, including Kim Gun-mo, Park Soo-hong, Han Ye-seul, and Jjuyang, have been victimized,” appealing, “It is time to put an end to this.”
[Photo] OSEN DB
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