South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun and his agency Gold Medalist have escalated their legal battle against Kim Se Ui, the operator of the controversial YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute. On June 11, 2025, the Seoul Central District Court approved the seizure of two apartments owned by Kim Se Ui, valued at ₩4 billion KRW ($2.93 million USD). The actor is also directly involved in freezing the channel’s corporate sponsorship bank account.
More notably, Kim Soo Hyun is personally listed as a creditor in the provisional seizure of Garo Sero Institute Co., Ltd.‘s corporate sponsorship bank account—marking his direct participation in legal action against the whistle-blower.
When asked why Kim is not named in the real estate seizures, his legal team explained that real estate seizure requires official registration, which would publicly reveal Kim’s personal information. To avoid having his details exposed to the Garo Sero side, Kim opted to be involved directly only in the seizure of the bank account.
The legal action follows months of allegations that Kim Soo Hyun dated the late actress Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor. The scandal erupted after Kim Sae Ron’s family and Garo Sero claimed the relationship began in 2015, when she was 15 years old. Kim Soo Hyun has repeatedly denied these claims, stating they only dated as adults in 2019–2020.
“I can’t admit to something I didn’t do,” Kim Soo Hyun said during a press conference. “Our relationship was like any other ordinary couple’s, but we never dated when she was underage.”
The seized properties include a 120.27㎡ apartment in Seocho-gu and a 208.65㎡ unit in Apgujeong, co-owned by Kim Se Ui and his sister. Gold Medalist is the sole claimant for these assets. Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun is personally listed as a creditor in the bank account seizure to avoid exposing his private details in real estate records.
Kim Se Ui’s channel, Garo Sero, first accused the actor of grooming Kim Sae Ron in March 2025. The allegations included leaked photos and chat logs, which Kim’s legal team called “edited and fabricated.” The agency also denied pressuring Kim Sae Ron over a debt related to her 2022 DUI incident, releasing a recorded phone call as proof.
The fallout has been severe. Kim Soo Hyun lost endorsements with Prada and Dinto, and his Disney+ series was postponed. His legal team filed a ₩12 billion KRW ($8.8 million USD) defamation lawsuit against Garo Sero and Kim Sae Ron’s family, along with criminal complaints for stalking and spreading false information.
Kim Sae Ron’s family countersued, alleging violations of the Child Welfare Act. They held a second press conference in May, playing a recording where Kim Sae Ron claimed the relationship began in middle school. Kim’s agency dismissed the audio as AI-generated.
Legal expert Roh Jong Eon noted the court’s provisional seizure order indicates the lawsuit has merit. However, recovery may be limited since the properties are already mortgaged. The case continues to unfold, with Kim Soo Hyun’s career and reputation at stake.
“The only path to stop Garo Sero’s cyber wrecking is thorough investigation and legal consequences,” said LKB & Partners, Kim’s legal firm.
Kim Sae Ron, a rising star, died in February 2025 at age 24. Her death was ruled a suicide. The scandal has sparked debates about privacy, media ethics, and mental health in South Korea’s entertainment industry.
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Source: Newsen
