Kim Soo Hyun’s agency has officially denied rumors that the actor ignored the late Kim Sae Ron’s financial struggles, clarifying that the debt issue was strictly between Kim Sae Ron and Gold Medalist.

On March 14, Gold Medalist released a strong statement responding to speculation that Kim Soo Hyun turned his back on Kim Sae Ron while she was struggling with debt.

"Reports suggesting that Kim Soo Hyun ignored Kim Sae Ron’s financial issues are completely false," the agency stated.

They directly refuted claims made by the controversial Garo Sero Institute, which suggested that Kim Soo Hyun’s silence led to Kim Sae Ron’s tragic passing.

"The rumors claim that Kim Soo Hyun ignored Kim Sae Ron’s plea for help while our agency pressured her to repay debts from her DUI accident. However, this is absolutely untrue."

According to Gold Medalist, Kim Sae Ron’s total penalty fees from her DUI incident amounted to 1.14 billion KRW.

The agency stepped in to negotiate and reduce the amount, lowering it to around 700 million KRW.

The agency also took care of her damaged car, handling its repair and sale, using the proceeds to cover part of the damages.

Despite their efforts, Kim Sae Ron continued to struggle financially, and in December 2023, Gold Medalist wrote off the remaining debt as a loss, officially closing the matter.

"After we wrote off her debt, we never demanded repayment from Kim Sae Ron again. It is completely unreasonable to link her passing to this issue."

Gold Medalist made it clear that Kim Soo Hyun was never personally involved in the debt issue.

"Kim Soo Hyun never loaned Kim Sae Ron money or pressured her to repay anything. The financial issue was strictly between Kim Sae Ron and Gold Medalist."

The agency also addressed rumors that Kim Sae Ron had reached out to Kim Soo Hyun for help, explaining that she initially contacted him for legal advice since she had no legal representation at the time.

Later, she hired her own attorney to negotiate the debt situation.

Kim Sae Ron was previously fined 20 million KRW for a DUI accident in May 2022, after crashing into a tree and a transformer before fleeing the scene.

Gold Medalist initially covered the damages but later sent her a legal notice regarding the remaining 700 million KRW debt.

Amid her financial struggles, reports claim Kim Sae Ron sought help from her former romantic partner, Kim Soo Hyun, but was left without support.

Following her tragic passing on February 16, 2024, speculation arose that Gold Medalist’s debt collection efforts played a role in her difficulties, leading to public scrutiny of both the agency and Kim Soo Hyun.

What are your thoughts on this ongoing controversy? Do you think Kim Soo Hyun should have done more?

Source (1)

Kim Soo Hyun has admitted to dating the late Kim Sae Ron but strongly denies that their relationship began when she was a minor.

On March 14, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, released a statement saying, “Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron dated from the summer of 2019, after she became an adult, until the fall of 2020.” They emphasized, “The claim that he was in a relationship with her when she was a minor is not true.”

The agency also clarified that the photos of the two, which were revealed by Garo Sero Research Institute (Gaseyeon) and Kim Sae Ron herself, were taken in 2020 when she was already of legal age.

Regarding the legal implications of the allegations, lawyer Lee Go Eun appeared on YTN News to discuss whether Kim Soo Hyun could face charges if it were proven that he had been in a relationship with Kim Sae Ron when she was underage.

When asked about the possibility of legal punishment, Lee explained, “Under the law revised in May 2020, any physical relationship with a minor under the age of 16, even with consent, could lead to serious charges.”

However, she pointed out a key legal detail, saying, “Before the 2020 revision, the law applied only to minors under 13 years old. Since Kim Sae Ron was 15 in 2015, the legal framework at the time does not classify her as a protected minor in this context.”

Lee concluded, “Given the laws in place at the time, it seems difficult for Kim Soo Hyun to face legal consequences.”

She further added, “For any case to proceed against him, there would need to be clear evidence of more than just dating. Based on what is currently known, holding him legally accountable may be challenging.”

Source: [1]