The police announced on the 24th that they plan to investigate defamation cases involving actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron.
Acting Commissioner Park Hyun-soo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency held a regular press briefing on the same day. During the briefing, Acting Commissioner Park stated that a complaint had been filed on the 20th at Gangnam Police Station against Garosero Research Institute for violating the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, as alleged by Kim Soo-hyun’s side, and that an investigation, including questioning of the complainant, would proceed. Regarding the defamation investigation involving YouTuber Lee Jin-ho and Kim Sae-ron, he added, “The case was assigned to Seodaemun Police Station on the 17th, and we are coordinating the complainant’s attendance schedule.”
The case arose when Garosero Research Institute disclosed a photo it had received from Kim Sae-ron’s bereaved family, showing both individuals. Kim Sae-ron’s family and Garosero Research Institute claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron for six years, starting in November 2015 when she was still a minor. Initially, Kim Soo-hyun’s side dismissed the allegations as false. However, after additional photos of the two together were released, they revised their stance, stating that their relationship began only after Kim Sae-ron became an adult.
According to the police, a complaint against Garosero Research Institute for continuously raising allegations about Kim Soo-hyun’s relationship was filed at Gangnam Police Station on the 20th.
Meanwhile, Bu Ji-seok, a lawyer from Buyou Law Firm representing Kim Sae-ron’s family, filed a defamation complaint against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho on the 19th for spreading false information. Lee Jin-ho had repeatedly uploaded videos on his YouTube channel, Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho, since 2022, denying the past romantic relationship between Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun. However, after Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 16th of last month, all related videos were made private.
Kim Sae-ron had been caught drunk driving in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, in May 2022 and was fined 20 million won by the court the following year. Reports suggested that she had been struggling financially, and she was found dead at her home on the 16th of last month.
Additionally, the police provided updates on the case of singer Wheesung’s death. Regarding the discovery of syringes near his body, they stated, “An autopsy was conducted on the 12th, and the initial results were inconclusive.” They added, “A detailed forensic examination is underway, and we plan to proceed with further investigations once the results are available.”