Kim Soo-hyun’s legal team working to identify woman in defamation case amid Kim Sae-ron row

Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron controversy

Posthumous claims of an inappropriate relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron have put South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun at the centre of a major controversy. The Queen of Tears actor has vehemently denied the allegations, which imply that he had a romantic relationship with Sae-ron when she was a minor. Quick action was taken by his agency, Gold Medallist, which filed a defamation lawsuit against Sae-ron's family and the YouTube channel GaroSero, which first shared the claims, for a total of 12 billion KRW.

When a woman claiming to be Kim Sae-ron's aunt accused Kim Soo-hyun of having a relationship with the actress when she was a minor, the controversy broke out. Together with GaroSero and Sae-ron's family, the woman produced what they said was evidence in the form of handwritten letters, KakaoTalk conversations, and photos.

Kim Soo-hyun’s legal representatives at LKB & Partners have since launched an effort to verify the identity of the so-called “aunt.” In a formal statement shared via Daum, the law firm explained that one of the main defendants in the defamation case is this woman, who they referred to as a “so-called fake aunt.” However, they noted that her name, phone number, or resident registration number have not yet been verified.

“If we can verify even one of the following — name, phone number, or resident registration number — then we’ll have no problem. With a phone number, we can go through telecom providers; with a resident number, we can pull basic registration documents,” the legal team explained.

They added, “In the case of the so-called fake aunt, none of those three identifiers have been confirmed yet. However, we’re confident her identity will eventually be confirmed, because a criminal complaint has also been filed against her. Investigative authorities, upon receiving the complaint, will have to identify her. We’re trying to speed that up ourselves as well.”

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Meanwhile, YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, who had previously discussed Kim Sae-ron’s past relationships and refuted claims of Kim Soo-hyun’s involvement in her death, has also threatened legal action. The bereaved family defended the woman in question, stating, “The aunt is simply Sae Ron’s aunt, that is all. No harm done, ever.”

The Gold Medallist also clarified that the viral photo that stoked the accusations was taken in 2020, not 2016, as first claimed, and that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were only dating from 2019 to 2020.