South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has been facing intense backlash since March 10 after a YouTube channel accused him of dating late actress Kim Sae-ron while was still a minor.
Although Kim Soo-hyun's agency Gold Medalist confirmed that the two dated for a year and insisted Sae-ron was legal of age at the time, newly surfaced evidence has cast doubt on that claim.
On Thursday (March 27), Bu Ji-seok, an attorney representing Sae-ron’s family, held a press conference in Seoul, where he disclosed intimate messages allegedly exchanged between Kim, 37, and the late actress on KakaoTalk in June 2016.
At the time, Kim was 27 whereas Sae-ron, who passed away on Feb 16, was just approaching her 16th birthday.
One of the messages showed Sae-ron asking Kim if he missed her, to which the Queen Of Tears (2024) star affirmed his feelings.
In another exchange, Sae-ron sent Kim a heart emoji along with a word mimicking the sound of a kiss. In response, Kim allegedly said: “Do it for real later haha.”
Further messages also showed Kim expressing his desire to hug Sae-ron to sleep.
As translated by Korean entertainment portal Soompi, the scandal-plagued actor asked: “When can I go to sleep holding you? I think I would be able to sleep really well then.”
Meanwhile, entertainment portal Koreaboo reported Kim asking Sae-ron how long it would take for her to let him be physically intimate with her.
At the press conference, Bu also presented photos of Sae-ron’s self-harm and a letter she had planned to give Kim, in which she referred to the actor as her first love.
When asked what would happen if Kim continued denying the relationship despite the released texts, the lawyer said: “That would constitute a sexual offense if it wasn’t a relationship.”
Bu also stated that Sae-ron’s family is seeking a public apology from Kim, adding: “An apology is only meaningful if it’s accepted by the person receiving it.”
Those contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935/ 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999/ 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim’s family, social and community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); or Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929/email sam@befrienders.org.my/visit www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia).
