The tragic death of actress Kim Sae-ron on February 16, 2025, has ignited a firestorm of debate and allegations, particularly involving actor Kim Soo-hyun and claims made by an individual identifying himself as Mr. K, purportedly her ex-boyfriend. A close friend of Kim Sae-ron has now stepped forward to challenge Mr. K’s assertions.
In an interview with The Fact on March 25, 2025, Mr. K suggested that Kim Sae-ron’s depression stemmed from family issues and firmly distanced Kim Soo-hyun from any responsibility concerning her emotional state. This perspective has been called into question by a friend of the late actress, who asserted that the relationship between Mr. K and Sae-ron was not as deep as he portrayed.
The friend, who frequently visited Sae-ron’s apartment, described interactions she witnessed between Sae-ron and her family, contradicting Mr. K’s claims. According to her, both her mother and aunt provided substantial emotional and practical support. In a telephone conversation streamed live on Garosero’s YouTube channel, she remarked:
“I mean, I don’t think he’s a bad guy, based on what I know. He’s a quiet, introverted person… Like, when his phone conversation recording with director Kwak Tae Yong was leaked, he was terrified.”
Further, she insinuated that either Kim Soo-hyun or director Kwak Tae-yong may have pressured Mr. K into making false statements about Kim Sae-ron. She elaborated:
“So, I don’t think he’s the vile type. But seeing how he turned and wrote the statement and all… I have to suspect that either Kim Soo Hyun or Kwak Tae Yong threatened him and got to him. Like, I have reason to believe so.”
While these dramatic allegations have surfaced, it is imperative to underscore that no definitive evidence has been released to validate these claims. Neither Kim Soo-hyun nor Kwak Tae-yong have responded to this narrative.
Denial of Involvement in Emotional Distress
In the same interview, Mr. K maintained that the turmoil experienced by Kim Sae-ron was due to familial neglect rather than actions taken by Kim Soo-hyun. He asserted that any allegations targeting the actor were baseless. However, family members of Kim Sae-ron have countered this narrative, suggesting that Kim Soo-hyun had a role in exacerbating the financial and mental strains faced by the actress. These accusations were made public on March 11, 2025.
In a concerning detail, the actress’s family alleged that she took her life on the same day as Kim Soo-hyun’s 37th birthday, further complicating the circumstances surrounding her death. Mr. K’s unexpected appearance in this ongoing scandal followed a video by YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, who claimed that Kim Sae-ron had a secret marriage and underwent an abortion shortly before her death.
Lee Jin-ho’s claims included details suggesting that the secret marriage involved a non-celebrity and that plans were in place for the couple to move to New York earlier in January 2025.
Heightening the drama further, Kim Sae-ron’s family has alleged that Kim Soo-hyun dated her when she was just a minor back in 2016. On March 10, 2025, they provided several images and video clips via Garosero’s YouTube channel to support their accusations.
On March 27, 2025, the family’s attorney revealed screenshots from KakaoTalk messages purportedly showing Kim Soo-hyun expressing a desire to kiss Sae-ron, who was 17 at the time. In response, Gold Medalist, the agency representing Kim Soo-hyun, firmly denied any romantic involvement between the two when Sae-ron was underage, releasing a comprehensive 12-page statement to reject all allegations.
Adding to the backdrop of this tragedy, Kim Sae-ron had been grappling with significant financial issues stemming from a drunk driving incident in 2022, leaving her with debts amounting to approximately 700 million KRW (around $477,000). Reports indicate that she had been working part-time jobs to manage these mounting financial pressures.