Actor Kim Soo-hyun has directly expressed his intention to apologize for the allegations that he dated the late Kim Sae-ron since Kim was a minor.
On the 31st, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference at the Stanford Hotel Sangam in Mapo District, Seoul, and said, "I feel like so many people are suffering because of me. I am sorry."
He continued, "I feel sorry that the deceased also seems unable to rest peacefully."
He acknowledged the relationship with Kim Sae-ron but refuted the claim that the two dated when she was a minor. Kim Soo-hyun stated, "The late Kim and I dated for about a year before 'Queen of Tears' aired, around 2020. We denied the relationship at that time," and added, "It is natural to criticize this, and I understand if people find it hard to believe the events between the late Kim and me."
He emphasized, "We did not date when the deceased was a minor," and added, "It is also not true that the deceased made a tragic choice due to debt from my agency." He further mentioned, "During the drunk driving incident, we had already broken up, and I understood that Kim Sae-ron was seeing someone else, making it difficult for me to contact her."
The press conference was held 21 days after the allegation that Kim Soo-hyun dated the minor Kim Sae-ron was raised on the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute on the 10th.
Although his agency has previously issued statements, this is the first time Kim Soo-hyun has appeared in public to address the issue directly.