South Korea’s biggest star Kim Soo-hyun is in the midst of a career-ending scandal after being linked to late actress Kim Sae-ron, who tragically killed herself last month.
Soo-hyun, 37, was forced to deny that he’d dated Sae-ron while she was underage, following allegations made by popular gossip channel HoverLab on YouTube.
According to The Korea Herald, HoverLab claimed that Soo-hyun and Sae-ron had been dating for six years, starting in 2015 when Sae-ron was 15 and Soo-hyun was 27.
Soo-hyun initially denied that he’d ever dated the young star, but later admitted that they had been in a relationship for one year after a flurry of photos of the pair together, along with alleged text messages, were leaked online.
‘Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after she became a legal adult,’ his agency Gold Medalist said in a statement released Friday.
South Korea’s biggest star Kim Soo-hyun is in the midst of a career-ending scandal after being linked to late actress Kim Sae-ron, who tragically killed herself last month
Soo-hyun, 37, was forced to deny that he’d dated Sae-ron while she was underage. (Sae-ron is pictured in 2015)
‘It is not true that he dated her when she was a minor,’ they added.
Sae-ron was also signed with Gold Medalist in 2020, but she was dropped by the agency after getting into a car accident while driving under the influence in 2022.
The scandal from the crash ended her acting career and left her with a crippling debt, owed to Gold Medalist, of roughly USD $462,000 for lost revenue.
After her DUI incident, Sae-ron’s entertainment career ultimately came to a screeching halt, and she was unable to find work and couldn’t pay off her debts to the company.
Adding another twist to the story, Gold Medalist was founded by Soo-hyun’s cousin, Lee Sarang, who had worked closely with Soo-hyun for years before they established the agency together.
Facing legal action, Sae-ron personally reached out to Soo-hyun to request that Gold Medalist give her more time to resolve the matter.
In a text message published by Korean news outlet Dispatch (translated by Koreaboo), Sae-ron wrote, ‘You said that you would give me ample time, so I’m working hard, preparing to make a comeback.’
Soo-hyun initially denied that he’d ever dated the young star, but later admitted that they had been in a relationship for one year after a flurry of photos of the pair together leaked online
She continued, ‘I will pay you back with a percentage from each work. I’m not saying that I won’t pay you back, but if you suddenly ask for ₩700 million KRW right now, I really can’t do anything.
‘It’s not that I won’t, but I can’t. Do you really have to take it as far as a lawsuit? Please save me… I beg of you. Give me some time.’
Soo-hyun reportedly did not respond to the message.
Gold Medalist has since refuted claims that they pressured Sae-ron to pay her debt, instead insisting that they found a way to resolve the debt legally as she was unable to meet the payments.
Sae-ron, 24, was found dead in her home by a friend in February and her death was ruled a suicide.
She had not worked since her DUI and received huge backlash from the general public over the incident.
Prior to the DUI, she was one of the brightest young stars in South Korea.
Sae-ron was one of Korea’s brightest young stars but her career came to a halt following a DUI scandal in 2022, which left her in debt and unable to find work
The actress was found dead at age 24 in her home in February. Her death was ruled a suicide
She shot to fame as a child in blockbuster hits like The Man From Nowhere and A Brand New Life, and then enjoyed a successful career in television.
Despite Soo-hyun adamantly denying that he dated her while she was underage, the speculation has tarnished his squeaky clean image.
The actor has already lost multiple endorsement deals and has been dropped as a brand ambassador by Prada.
He also been dubbed ‘K-Diddy’ by some media outlets, according to Allkpop.
Soo-hyun is currently in the midst of filming a new series for Disney+, but a representative for the streamer has confirmed that no release date for the project has been set, leaving its future in doubt.
Soo-hyun has already lost multiple endorsement deals since his relationship with Sae-ron came to light
The wildly popular actor is known for his hit Korean dramas like Queen of Tears My Love From The Stars
Prior to the scandal, Soo-hyun was the biggest male star of his generation.
He first shot to major fame in the 2011 teen drama Dream High, before skyrocketing to A-list status across Asian thanks to the back-to-back successes of the dramas Moon Embracing the Sun and My Love From The Stars.
After a hiatus, he returned to the top of the industry with his comeback role in the romantic comedy series Queen of Tears, which became the highest-rated show in its network’s history.
His endorsement deals over the years have included Tommy Hilfiger, Jeju Airlines, Dunkin Donuts, Prada and more.
