Actor Kim Soo-hyun (37) filed a criminal complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office against Kim Se-eui, the operator of the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute," and the family of the late Kim Sae-ron for defamation. Kim Soo-hyun's side claimed that they spread false information based on manipulated recording files and that the act of suing Kim Soo-hyun constitutes a "false accusation."
Kim Soo-hyun's legal representative, LKB & Partners, stated on the 23rd, "Kim Se-eui and the family of Kim Sae-ron went beyond spreading false information based on forged recording files and have sued Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act and other charges," adding, "Fabricating evidence is a serious crime, but filing a criminal complaint based on forged evidence is an even more serious crime." They also noted that they have submitted an additional complaint against these individuals for false accusation.
Earlier, on the 7th of last month, Kim Se-eui claimed during a press conference that "Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship since middle school and that there are recording files to substantiate this." He further alleged that "Kim Soo-hyun's side attempted to recover the recording files from the informant for 4 billion won, and when the informant rejected this, two hitmen were sent to kill the informant," causing a stir.
Kim Soo-hyun is under suspicion of having dated Kim Sae-ron for about six years since her minor years. Kim Sae-ron's family revealed photos, messages, and letters of the two to Gaseyeon. Subsequently, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, and Gaseyeon have engaged in a truth battle regarding the allegations of underage dating and the 700 million won penalty notice related to the deceased's drunk driving incident. Kim Soo-hyun’s side is currently pursuing 12 billion won in damages against the family and Kim Se-eui, and separately has filed a criminal complaint for defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun publicly denied the allegations during a press conference on March 31, stating, "I did not date the deceased when she was a minor," and added, "It is also not true that the agency pressured the deceased regarding her debt, leading to her tragic choice."