On March 17, 2025, Attorney Bu Ji-seok from the Law Firm Buyou held a press conference at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, representing the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. The event attracted media attention as Kweon Young-chan, a former comedian and founder of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Organization, also addressed the public.
Kweon revealed that Kim Sae-ron’s family had attempted to reach out to approximately 100 media organizations via email to share their allegations, but they received no response from any outlet. Their breakthrough came when they contacted the Garosero Research Institute YouTube channel, which agreed to air their story.
“Kim Sae-ron’s family sent an email to 100 media outlets but all were rejected until Garosero accepted to help them expose Kim Soo-hyun. All the media outlets knew about their relationship, but they claimed they couldn’t report the news,”Kwon disclosed.
In their coverage, Garosero suggested that Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun had an undisclosed romantic relationship commencing when she was still a minor. In addition, they raised serious allegations against Kim Soo-hyun’s management agency, Gold Medalist, accusing it of financial negligence and abandoning Sae-ron after her DUI incident in 2022.
According to Garosero, the agency did not provide necessary support to Sae-ron during her troubled times. However, Gold Medalist has firmly denied these claims, labeling them as “baseless and malicious,” and indicated their intention to pursue legal action to safeguard Kim Soo-hyun’s reputation. Kim Se-ui, the host of the Hoverlab YouTube channel, was also present at the press event.
Legal Actions from Kim Sae-ron’s Family
In ongoing developments, Kim Sae-ron’s family plans to initiate legal proceedings against several parties, including YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, actor Kim Soo-hyun, and journalists affiliated with SBS and Dispatch. Attorney Bu Ji-seok confirmed on Monday that they wish to hold these individuals accountable for allegedly contributing to the circumstances leading to her tragic death.
In the wake of rising tensions, it was noted that Sae-ron shared a photo with her former boyfriend, Kim Soo-hyun, on March 24, 2024. The intention behind this post was to clarify rumors and demonstrate that he was not the source of a letter demanding that she repay debts.
Bu Ji-seok asserted that the actress had attempted to reach Soo-hyun privately for clarification before making the photo public but did not receive any response, prompting her to disclose the image more broadly.
“The only reason Kim Sae-ron posted the picture of herself and her former lover Kim Soo-hyun on March 24, 2024, was because she hoped to dissociate him from the official letter demanding her debt repayment,”Lawyer Bu Ji-seok mentioned, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily.
Lee Jin-ho had been known for creating multiple videos centered on Kim Sae-ron during her lifetime, predominantly focusing on her intoxicated driving incident and her endeavors to resurrect her career. According to the attorney, these videos inflicted significant emotional harm on her, ultimately contributing to her tragic demise. Although Lee acknowledged having posted four videos, Kweon Young-chan claimed the actual count was as high as seven.
Additionally, Attorney Bu Ji-seok stated that further complaints would be directed at reporters from SBS and Dispatch for their “malicious” coverage of Kim Sae-ron.