Despite the press conference on Monday, the controversy and public sentiment surrounding South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun's alleged relationship with late actress Kim Sae Ron remained unresolved, as it escalated into legal confrontation.
According to reports, the Seoul Central District Court assigned the damages claim lawsuit filed by Kim Soo Hyun to the late actress's family on Tuesday (Apr 1).
However, different from the 12 billion won (approximately HK$6 million) compensation for the actor’s financial losses and emotional distress mentioned at the press conference, it is reported the court received a claim amount of 11 billion won (around HK$6.5 million).
Additionally, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, announced on Wednesday (Apr 2) that they also filed a lawsuit against the host of the YouTube channel Gerosero Research, Kim Se Eui, for violating the Act on prevention of stalking and protection of victims.
The actor’s lawyer presented rebuttal evidence, asserting that the photos and videos released by the YouTube channel regarding his alleged relationship with Kim Sae-ron were inaccurate.
The lawyer stated the selfies purportedly taken in 2015–2016 of the couple skiing were actually taken on January 22, 2020, when all of the agency’s artists and employees went skiing together.
Regarding a short video claiming Kim Soo Hyun and the underage Kim Sae Ron drinking and eating at home at around 11 pm, the lawyer acknowledged it was taken in June 2018, but highlighted the late actress' family was also present and they were not yet in a relationship.
Reactions from Kim Sae Ron’s families and friends
According to the TV Chosun program “Incident File 24”, which aired on Tuesday (Apr 1), a legal representative of Kim Sae Ron’s family mentioned that at least eight of her close friends expressed anger over Kim Soo Hyun’s denial of their relationship during her teenage years, adding her friends are preparing to release a public statement to clarify the truth.
Meanwhile, the lawyer emphasised the family's disbelief about Kim Soo Hyun's insistence to deny the relationship, stating that it would have been preferable if the actor admitted affections towards their daughter while she was underage and grew into a relationship after reaching adulthood.
Petition to amend law
Following the press conference, a petition titled “Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act” has been submitted to the National Assembly webpage to address statutory rape laws to include ages 13 to 19 on Monday (Mar 31).
As the current law only protected those aged 13 to 16, the amendment calls for stricter penalties and strengthened protection on sexual offence against minors, which included minium two years imprisonment for indecent acts and five years imprisonment for cases related to rape.
It is reported that over 33,000 signatures have been gathered as of 2pm on Wednesday (Apr 2).
If more than 50,000 signatures are collected within 30 days, the petition will be forwarded to the National Assembly’s relevant standing committed for review and presented to the National Assembly plenary session once being adopted.
Tax Evasion allegations
Kim Soo Hyun has also been entangled in tax evasion allegations, with South Korean netizens discovering that a report against him has been accepted by the tax authorities, leading to an investigation.
In the online post, a web user mentioned noticing the inconsistencies between the actor’s reported income and company’s financial statements, and filing a report with Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS).
The poster shared screenshots of the report being marked as“valid”, which means the case can be moved forward with enough basis.
Since Kim Soo Hyun has been recognized multiple times for being a responsible taxpayer, and appointed as an ambassador of the NTS in 2023, the online community is all eyes on the investigation result.
Allegations from Sulli's brother
Meanwhile, late actress Sulli (Choi Jin Ri)'s brother recently accused the production team of the film "REAL," in which Kim Soo Hyun starred, of coercing Sulli into filming explicit scenes without her consent.
The brother expressed dissatisfaction with Kim Soo Hyun’s lack of response to these allegations during the press conference, and shared a screenshot of a phone call with Sulli’s manager on social media yesterday (Apr 1), indicating there more evidence will be unveiled.
However, Gold Medalist rebutted the claim this afternoon (Apr 2), stating the late actress was aware of the scene prior to filming and clarifying the standing actor was only to replace the actor’s movement during preparation instead of a substitute actor.
The company emphasised Kim Soo Hyun has no relation in the matter, and attached confirmation letters from the film’s assistant director Kim Jung Ok and scripter Lee Jun Hyun.
(Phoebe Poon)
