In a highly emotional press conference held on March 31, 2025 (KST), actor Kim Soo Hyun addressed the swirling accusations made by the family of the late actress Kim Sae Ron following her recent passing. Speaking alongside his lawyer for approximately 40 minutes, Kim Soo Hyun frequently teared up as he denied the various claims and shared his perspective on their past relationship.
Apology and Confirmation of Past Relationship
Kim Soo Hyunbegan the press conference with a heartfelt apology for the distress caused. He then confirmed that he and Kim Sae Ron were indeed in a relationship for about a year, stating:
Hello, this is Kim Soo Hyun. First of all, I apologize. Because of me, too many people are suffering right now… And I feel like the deceased is unable to rest in peace, which makes me feel terrible.
I think of myself as a coward. This whole time, I’ve been focused on protecting what I have. I couldn’t even trust the kindness extended to me and was always afraid of losing everything. I was scared of the damages I’d suffer, so I’ve been hiding and in denial. So it took me a long time to come here. I wondered how things might have been if I held a press conference at the beginning of it all to clarify everything. Then, I would not have caused so much suffering to the fans who love and support me and the staff at my management company who worked so hard leading up to this conference. Every time a piece of information was revealed about me and the deceased and our private lives, I kept thinking, ‘I’m going to tell them everything. I’m going to reveal everything, and I’m going to end this hell.’ But each time, I ended up hesitating. I was afraid of the aftermath of my decision. What if I mess everyone and everything up, including myself?
Even when ‘Queen of Tears’ was airing, and the deceased posted a photo of us together, I hesitated. The deceased and I were in a relationship for about a year, four years ago. At the time, I denied being in a relationship with her. I believe I deserve the criticism for that choice I made. Even if you can no longer believe a single thing I say about what happened between me and the deceased, I understand. But because I only get this one chance to speak to you all like this, I plead that you continue listening to me.
Reasons for Not Publicly Acknowledging the Relationship
Kim Soo Hyun explained his decision not to publicly acknowledge his relationship with Kim Sae Ron, even after she posted a photo of them together in 2024. He emphasized the responsibilities he felt as a leading actor, particularly during the airing of his drama “Queen of Tears”:
Once I debuted as an actor, I’ve received so much love. In the past, I had never been one to own much, but I suddenly had so much to protect and hold on to. Even when ‘Queen of Tears’ was airing, I had a lot to keep safe as the male lead. I wondered what might happen if I admitted to having been in a relationship with the deceased years ago. What will happen to the cast? The staff working hard day and night? The production company who invested everything in the show? The colleagues at my management company? What will happen to them all? Every time there was a clash between human Kim Soo Hyun and ‘Star Kim Soo Hyun,’ I ended up making the best decision for the Star Kim Soo Hyun. And it made me terrified every single day. And honestly, I was scared every single day. What if everything I chose to protect as Star Kim Soo Hyun came back to harm me? I was afraid. But even if I could go back to when ‘Queen of Tears’ was airing, I would make the same choice. I had no other option.
Could I really make any decision just to ease my own mind? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t. That was the responsibility I had to bear as someone who chose this life as Kim Soo Hyun. If you say these decisions are cowardly and selfish, I accept that. And to those who loved and supported me, I apologize. Even to this moment, I’m very worried. And I’m anxious. What will these words I say come back and do to me? But because this is who I am, I thought I had to speak up.
Denying Allegations of Dating a Minor and Causing Her Demise
Kim Soo Hyun vehemently denied the accusations that he dated Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor and that his actions or his agency’s pressure led to her tragic passing. He stated:
I did not date the deceased when she was a minor. The claim that I ignored her and that she made the tragic decision to end her life because of my management company pushing her to pay her debt back is not true.
Aside from both of us being actors, we were like any other couple. We started dating because we had feelings for each other, and then we broke up. After that, I did not keep in touch with the deceased. Like most couples who break up, it was not easy for me to contact her after we’d broken up — especially since we were both well-known celebrities. And when we were signed under the same agency, I knew how she was doing. So, I did not reach out. That’s why when she got herself into the DUI incident, I did not reach out to her either.
He further addressed claims made by a YouTube channel representing Kim Sae Ron’s family, which suggested that her last agency’s CEO stated she suffered because of him. Kim Soo Hyun presented a recording of his agency’s lawyer explaining a legal notice, aiming to contradict these claims:
I heard the YouTube channel representing the deceased’s family claims that her last agency’s CEO said the deceased suffered because of me at the time of the incident. But from what I understand, the deceased was in a relationship with someone else at that time. That made it even more difficult for me to know what to say or how to reach out. We had already moved on with our lives — what could I possibly say?
You may see this as an excuse. At times, I just wanted to stay silent, no matter what the world said. I have been so dearly loved, but I have also been misunderstood. Falsehoods spread as if they are facts. But I considered that to be my burden to bear. However, the deceased’s family is now claiming that, because I was her ex-boyfriend, I drove her to her death. And they are pressuring me to confess to something I didn’t do. They say, ‘You groomed the deceased when she was a minor. You pressured her financially until she died. So you are a murderer.’
Please listen to this recording. After the deceased’s family revealed our relationship, the YouTube channel representing them disclosed a statement from the deceased’s last agency CEO. In the recording, they claim that my company pressured the deceased over her debt by sending a second legal notice. However, in a call with my agency’s CEO a year ago, the same person said something entirely different. Please listen to it for yourself.
[Plays a recording of GOLD MEDALIST lawyer explaining the second legal notice being a procedural step to Management Run CEO.]
I found out about this after what all happened, but this is the truth about the second legal notice. So, I don’t know why the deceased’s agency CEO is claiming something completely different from what they said before. I will face the consequences for anything I did wrong. It is only right to take responsibility for what I should. But I cannot admit to something I did not do.
Allegations of Doctored KakaoTalk Messages
Kim Soo Hyun also addressed the KakaoTalk messages recently leaked by Kim Sae Ron’s family, claiming that they were doctored and not authentic:
Same goes for the KakaoTalk messages that the bereaved revealed. There are too many errors in these messages for them to had been written by the deceased. The photo they claim to be from 2016 is from 2019. And the deceased would not get something like our age difference wrong. She would not have gotten wrong the name of her agency where she was signed for four years or how long her contract was. And she was solely an actress signed under the agency’s management. She did not take on rookie recruitment or visual directing.
The bereaved revealed KakaoTalk messages that the deceased and I shared during a recent press conference. And based on these messages, the YouTube channel is framing me to be a grooming pedophile. But the people speaking in these KakaoTalk messages from 2016 and 2018 are different people. To prove this, I submitted the bereaved’s copies of the 2016 and 2018 messages, along with my personal copies of this year’s KakaoTalk messages to my friends to an analysis organization that specializes in statement forensics. The analysis concluded that the speakers in the 2016 and 2018 messages were all different.
This has been the most painful part of this whole ordeal. Every time my agency refutes the family’s evidence, they release new recordings, carefully edited photos, and manipulated chat logs as ‘proof.’ They are using my past relationship with the deceased to justify fake testimonies and fabricated evidence.
I will accept any criticism for my choices. But that does not mean all falsehoods become true. Just as I had my KakaoTalk messages analyzed, I will ensure that every piece of evidence presented by the family undergoes thorough forensic examination. If their evidence is real, I urge them to submit it to law enforcement for verification through legal channels.
Final Words and Departure
In his closing remarks, a tearful Kim Soo Hyun spoke about the immense pressure and fear he has been facing:
I have people that I’m responsible for. People who are relying on me to this very moment. Everyday, I have to watch them crumble. And I fear, ‘What will be exposed today and distorted as true?’ I fear of being framed as a murderer.
I don’t know what kind of fake evidence and false testimonies will be used to defame me and harass those around me after this press conference ends. But if I were to give in to the coercion and admit to the things I have not done, I would be giving up on not only myself but also everyone who loved and trusted Star Kim Soo Hyun. It would mean telling them that their support was for a piece of human trash, and that they were deceived by Kim Soo Hyun, and it would leave them with a lifetime of pain.
As an actor, I may live wearing a mask. But that is the one thing I cannot do. I have done what I have done, and I am willing to take any criticism for it. But what I did not do, I did not do. For everyone who keeps believing in me, this is the one truth I want to make clear. I won’t ask you to trust me—I will prove it. Thank you.
Following these final words, Kim Soo Hyun stood up, bowed to the reporters, and left the conference hall in tears.
To know the latest developments about Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron, Keep an eye on VvipTimes, and allow notifications from us to get instant updates on your device.
