South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun held a much-talked-about press conference on March 31, 2025, in Seoul, addressing serious allegations tied to his past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron. The event, held at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo District, was his first public statement since claims surfaced about underage dating and financial pressure linked to her death. Despite his emotional denial, public reactions remain mixed, and an eerie connection to his hit drama My Love from the Star has sparked buzz online.
The press conference came after weeks of controversy. Kim Sae-ron, who passed away in February 2025 in a suspected suicide at age 24, had been romantically linked to Kim Soo-hyun, now 37. Her family and a YouTube channel, Hoverlab (also known as Garo Sero Institute), alleged the pair dated for six years starting in November 2015—when she was 15 and he was 27. They also claimed his agency, Gold Medalist, pressured her to repay a 700 million KRW debt from her 2022 DUI incident, contributing to her struggles. Kim Soo-hyun and his team strongly denied these accusations, insisting their relationship began in mid-2019 and lasted about a year, when she was 19 and legally an adult in South Korea.
The event itself was raw and emotional. Kim Soo-hyun, dressed in a simple black suit, walked in with a tense look. He spoke for about 40 minutes, flanked by his lawyer from LKB & Partners, Kim Jong-bok, but took no questions from the press. Tears flowed as he apologized to fans, staff, and even Kim Sae-ron’s memory.
“I’m sorry. It feels like so many people are hurting because of me alone. It breaks my heart that the deceased might not rest in peace,” he said, his voice shaking.
He admitted to dating Kim Sae-ron five years ago, from mid-2019 to late 2020, but firmly denied any underage relationship.
“I did not date her when she was a minor. It’s also not true that she took her life because I ignored her or my agency pressured her over debts,” he stated.
He addressed the evidence presented by her family—like KakaoTalk messages from 2016 and 2018—claiming linguistic analysis showed he wasn’t the person in those chats. His team called the proof “fabricated,” pointing to edited photos and mismatched timelines. For example, a photo cited by Hoverlab showed Kim Sae-ron in an outfit released in June 2019, proving it couldn’t be from 2016 as claimed.
But what caught the public’s eye wasn’t just his words—it was his look and delivery. Fans quickly noticed parallels to a scene from My Love from the Star, the 2013 drama that shot him to fame. In it, Cheon Song-yi (played by Jun Ji-hyun) plans a press conference to clear her name after false accusations. Her friend gives her a playbook: wear black, keep makeup dull and worn-out, lower your gaze, and save the tears for the final minutes. Netizens flooded social media with comments like, “He followed this step-by-step—black suit, tired face, and that big cry at the end!” Another wrote, “It’s like My Love from the Star predicted this moment.”
The resemblance wasn’t lost on viewers. Kim Soo-hyun’s makeup did look understated, his eyes often cast down, and his tears peaked near the end—mirroring the drama’s advice. Outside the hotel, a fan truck from Brazil displayed messages like, “We stand by you,” showing his global support base. Yet, skepticism lingered online. Some called his tears “staged,” with posts on X saying, “Those are crocodile tears—he’s just saving his career.” Others defended him, arguing, “He’s human, not a robot. Give him a break.”
The fallout has been massive. Brands like Prada and Dinto dropped him weeks ago, his upcoming Disney+ drama Knock-Off faces boycott calls, and he’s been edited out of variety shows. His legal team has hit back, filing a 12 billion KRW ($8.15 million USD) lawsuit against Kim Sae-ron’s family and Hoverlab for defamation and privacy violations. They’ve also reported the accusers to authorities, demanding forensic checks on all evidence.
Public opinion remains split. Kim Sae-ron’s family insists their timeline is correct, backed by letters and photos, while Kim Soo-hyun’s side calls it a smear campaign with fake proof. The actor himself reflected on his choices during the conference.
“I always picked Kim Soo-hyun the star over Kim Soo-hyun the person. Even now, I’d make the same call. It’s the weight I carry living this life,” he said.
Did My Love from the Star foreshadow this moment? The drama’s press conference scene feels like a blueprint, but real life is messier. As lawsuits unfold and investigations dig deeper, the truth remains unclear. For now, Kim Soo-hyun’s tears—scripted or not—have left a mark, but they haven’t swayed everyone.
