Legal Response to Dating Allegations Against Kim Soo-hyun
On April 2, 2025, Star News reported that Kim Soo-hyun’s legal representatives have categorically denied all accusations made by Garosero Research Institute concerning a controversial “soju date”video that surfaced during a live broadcast. These allegations imply that the acclaimed actor was involved in a romantic relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, leading to significant public backlash.
The law firm LKB & Partners, which acts on behalf of Kim Soo-hyun and his agency, GOLD MEDALIST, issued a comprehensive statement asserting that all claims from the Garosero Research Institute are baseless. They firmly rejected the assertion that Kim Soo-hyun had any romantic connection with Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor.
Despite their efforts to clarify the situation, the legal team accused Garosero of persisting in disseminating false information, utilizing fabricated evidence and misleading photographs to bolster their claims.
In their statement, LKB & Partners emphasized:
“We have refuted all of the grounds for the false claims that ‘Ga Se-yeon’ has been consistently asserting, but ‘Ga Se-yeon’ continues to spread false information based on fabricated evidence and photos.”
Further, the legal representatives described the claims of Kim Soo-hyun dating Kim Sae-ron as utterly false and confirmed they are pursuing all necessary legal avenues to combat the ongoing allegations.
Countering the Misinformation
Addressing the timeline of events, LKB & Partners clarified that the “soju date”video and an accompanying photo of Kim Soo-hyun filming Kim Sae-ron while she was asleep were indeed captured in June 2018. However, they strongly refuted any notions of a romantic relationship between the two at that time, emphasizing that Kim Sae-ron was still a minor then, as reported by Star News.
The legal team clarified that the filming occurred in Kim Soo-hyun’s family’s apartment located in Seongsu-dong, where members of his family were also present during the visit.
“Kim Sae-ron came to visit Kim Soo-hyun on his vacation, and Kim Soo-hyun’s family was also there.”
The renewed controversy follows a series of provocative posts by Kim Se-ui, the creator of the Garosero Research Institute YouTube channel, who disseminated additional images and videos on March 31, depicting what he claims are romantic outings between the two actors. To add to the tension, he ridiculed Kim Soo-hyun’s earlier press conference where the actor outright denied the dating allegations.
In response, LKB & Partners filed a new complaint against Kim Se-ui for violating the Stalking Punishment Act, asserting that from March 10 to March 31, 2025, the Garosero Research Institute consistently aired deceptive material about their client. The firm alleged that personal images, messages, and letters pertaining to the actor were unlawfully shared on the channel, prompting calls for serious investigative action against these activities.
As noted by Star News, they added:
“Gold Medalist will continue to respond sternly to criminal acts such as the spread of false information by ‘Gaseyeon’ in the future.”
A Deeper Look into the Dating Controversy
The controversy surrounding Kim Soo-hyun intensified in March 2024 when he denied dating rumors following a social media posting by Kim Sae-ron that included a picture of the two. His agency, GOLD MEDALIST, claimed they were unaware of the actress’s motives for sharing the photograph and indicated potential legal action if necessary.
Tragically, Kim Sae-ron passed away on February 16, 2025, coinciding with Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday, and her death was ruled a self-inflicted incident. Following her death, her family alleged that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron had been dating since 2015, when she was only 15 and he was 27. Although GOLD MEDALIST initially denied these claims, they later acknowledged that the pair had a relationship from 2019 to 2020, when Kim Sae-ron was of legal age.
In a shocking twist, Kim Sae-ron’s family claimed that in March 2025, GOLD MEDALIST issued her legal papers demanding repayment for a debt linked to her DUI incident from 2022, which further tarnished her mental health. They contended that this ultimatum played a significant role in her tragic decision.
On March 27, 2025, in a press conference led by their lawyer Bu Ji-seok, Kim Sae-ron’s family unveiled compelling evidence supporting their allegations that Kim Soo-hyun dated her while she was still a minor. Shortly thereafter, on March 31, 2025, Kim Soo-hyun faced the media, denying all accusations against him.
In the aftermath of these events, the legal team for the acclaimed actor announced that they would be pursuing defamation lawsuits against both the grieving family of Kim Sae-ron and the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, also known as Hover Lab.