The family is suing Lee Jin-ho for making a number of false claims since 2022, including that she staged a 'self-made romance' by posting on social media a photo of herself with Kim Soo-hyun in March 2024. Photos: Reuters, Kim Sae-ron/Instagram
The bereaved family of Kim Sae-ron is suing a YouTuber for allegedly spreading false rumours about the late actress while she was alive.
South Korean attorney Bu Ji-seok of the law firm Buyou, representing Kim’s family, appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on March 17 to submit the complaint against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho.
Kim, 24, who rose to fame as a child star in the thriller film The Man From Nowhere (2010), was found dead at her home in Seoul on Feb 16.
Bu was accompanied by Kwon Young-chan, head of the Korea Association for Suicide Prevention, and Kim Se-ui, head of HoverLab.
The YouTube channel claimed recently that Kim Sae-ron and South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun had been dating for six years, starting in 2015 when she was 15 years old.
At a press conference, Bu said Kim Sae-ron’s family is suing Lee for making a number of false claims since 2022, including that she staged a “self-made romance” by posting on social media a photo of herself with Kim Soo-hyun in March 2024.
According to Bu, Kim Sae-ron uploaded the picture in a desperate attempt to have the Queen Of Tears (2024) actor contact her after receiving a notice from his agency Goldmedalist, urging her to repay a KRW700mil (RM2.14mil) debt.
Goldmedalist, which was co-founded by Kim Soo-hyun, was also the actress’ agency until she left in December 2022 after her drink-driving incident in May that year.
“Kim Sae-ron suffered extreme distress after receiving the first certified notice (from her agency) and sent a message to Kim Soo-hyun, saying, ‘Please save me.’” Bu said.
“When she did not get a response, she thought that posting on social media a photo taken while they were in a relationship might prompt a reply.” The photo was uploaded on March 24, 2024.
Bu claimed Lee had demeaned Kim by calling the photo a “staged act” and spread falsehoods.
“After Kim Sae-ron’s passing, Lee Jin-ho deleted (his) past videos, which is a clear attempt to destroy evidence,” he added.
The lawyer said that the recently released photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron by HoverLab were aimed at disproving Lee’s claims. The photos were obtained from her family.
“The bereaved family asks for understanding that they had no choice but to disclose the relationship (between Kim Sae-ron) and Kim Soo-hyun in order to prove that Lee Jin-ho’s claims were false,” said Bu.
According to the lawyer, Kim Sae-ron received a second certified notice from Goldmedalist on March 25, 2024, again urging her to repay the debt.
“While (Goldmedalist) claims that it had no choice but to send the letter due to a breach of trust issue, it was essentially a demand for the deceased to repay the debt within a given period,” said Bu.
The lawyer also claimed the letter warned Kim Sae-ron not to contact Kim Soo-hyun or other actors from the agency, and threatened legal action over the photo.
“It is impossible to even imagine the psychological distress the deceased must have suffered after receiving such notices,” her family said through Bu.
The lawyer added that the family is also considering taking legal action against Kim Soo-hyun. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
