The conflict between Kim Soo-hyun and the family of the late Kim Sae-ron is intensifying, with YouTube channels Garo Sero Research Institute (Garo Sero) and Lee Jin-ho actively involved. For the past nine days, accusations, clarifications, revelations, and rebuttals have been continuously exchanged.
Table of contents
- Did Kim Soo-hyun Date Kim Sae-ron as a Minor?
- Timeline of Key Events
- March 24, 2024 – Kim Sae-ron Uploads and Deletes an Intimate Photo
- February 16, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron Found Dead at Home on Kim Soo-hyun’s Birthday
- March 10, 2025 – ‘Garo Sero’ Raises Grooming Allegations Against Kim Soo-hyun
- March 11, 2025 – “Garo Sero” Publishes Kim Sae-ron’s Messages to Kim Soo-hyun
- March 12, 2025 – Advertisers Begin Cutting Ties with Kim Soo-hyun
- March 13, 2025 – Kim Soo-hyun Announces an Official Statement
- March 14, 2025 – Kim Soo-hyun Releases an Urgent Official Statement
- March 15, 2025 – ‘Garo Sero’ Leaks Another Private Photo of Kim Soo-hyun
- March 19, 2025 – Lee Jin-ho Claims Kim Sae-ron Secretly Married in New York
- March 20, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron’s Family Shocked by Secret Marriage Claims, Reveals Hand-written Letter
- March 21, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron’s Family Shot Back at Lee Jin-ho’s Claims, Suspected Edited Audio
- March 22 – Gold Medalist Employee Refuted Claims of Kim Sae-ron Working Unpaid, Sulli’s Brother Rouses Suspicions
- March 24, 2025 – Police Launch Investigation
- March 25, 2025 – New Allegations from Ex-Boyfriend, Family, and Husband
- March 26, 2025 – Kim Soo-hyun Dated Multiple People, Relationship Contract Unveiled
- March 27, 2025 – Family’s Press Conference with Various Evidence
Did Kim Soo-hyun Date Kim Sae-ron as a Minor?
Kim Sae-ron’s family has demanded that Kim Soo-hyun acknowledge their past relationship and apologize, stating, “He was in a relationship with the deceased when she was a minor. He sent her multiple legal notices, causing her severe psychological distress. He must admit this and apologize.”
However, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, has denied the allegations, insisting, “it is not true that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor.“ They also added, “Gold Medalist covered the remaining outstanding debts that Kim Sae-ron could not afford to pay.”
Meanwhile, Garo Sero has further escalated the situation by leaking private photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron whenever Gold Medalist issues an official statement. The photos include images of Kim Soo-hyun engaging in physical affection with Kim Sae-ron and even washing dishes at her home while not wearing pants.
Kim Soo-hyun’s side has pleaded, “Please stop recklessly distributing private photos.” However, the leaks have not stopped.
Subsequently, in a press conference held on March 27 by Kim Sae-ron’s family exposed various reconstructed text messages between Kim Soo-hyun and the late actress, alongside a handwritten letter, which showed Kim Soo-hyun allegedly flirting with Kim Sae-ron since the actress was 15 (international age).
Timeline of Key Events
March 24, 2024 – Kim Sae-ron Uploads and Deletes an Intimate Photo
Kim Sae-ron uploaded a photo where she was cheek-to-cheek with Kim Soo-hyun but quickly deleted it. However, the photo spread online, sparking dating rumors.
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency responded, “The dating rumors are completely false. The photo was taken in the past when they were under the same agency (Gold Medalist). We have no idea why Kim Sae-ron uploaded it.”
February 16, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron Found Dead at Home on Kim Soo-hyun’s Birthday
Kim Sae-ron was discovered deceased in her residence in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. No suicide note was found at the scene, but police suspect it was a case of suicide. Coincidentally, this was also Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday.
March 10, 2025 – ‘Garo Sero’ Raises Grooming Allegations Against Kim Soo-hyun
Garo Sero claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had been dating Kim Sae-ron since 2015, when he was 27 years old and she was 15, fueling allegations of pedophilia and grooming.
Additionally, they accused Kim Soo-hyun of colluding with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho to harass Kim Sae-ron by pressuring her over debt payments.
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency strongly denied these accusations, stating, “Garo Sero is spreading malicious, unfounded rumors. We will pursue the strongest possible legal action against them.”
March 11, 2025 – “Garo Sero” Publishes Kim Sae-ron’s Messages to Kim Soo-hyun
Garo Sero released text messages that Kim Sae-ron had sent to Kim Soo-hyun before her death, in which she wrote, “My agency sent me a legal notice demanding I pay 700 million KRW (approximately 482,000 USD). I don’t know what to do. Please help me.”
As public outrage intensified, old clips resurfaced, including a past interview where Kim Soo-hyun said he wanted to marry a 21-year-old woman at age 41, as well as a video where he hugged a child actress who said she was cold.
March 12, 2025 – Advertisers Begin Cutting Ties with Kim Soo-hyun
Brands started distancing themselves from Kim Soo-hyun due to the scandal. Reports indicated that CJ Foodville was reconsidering renewing his contract as a “Tous Les Jours” model.
Additionally, LG Household & Health Care deleted all old promotional videos featuring Kim Soo-hyun, while Dinto and K2 Korea removed his promotional materials.
March 13, 2025 – Kim Soo-hyun Announces an Official Statement
As the controversy spiraled out of control, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency announced that they would release an official statement next week.
Meanwhile, Kim Sae-ron’s family countered, saying, “Kim Soo-hyun promised to take responsibility for Kim Sae-ron. They even discussed marriage. But when she desperately asked for help, he ignored her and sent her a legal notice instead.”
March 14, 2025 – Kim Soo-hyun Releases an Urgent Official Statement
As the backlash grew, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency issued an urgent statement, “Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron only dated from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020. We strongly deny all allegations that they were in a relationship while she was a minor.”
They further explained that the legal notice was a formality to write off the company’s debt as a bad loan, arguing: “Without sending this notice, the agency’s decision to cover the debt could have been considered a financial misappropriation.”
However, Kim Sae-ron’s family fiercely refuted this claim, stating, “Kim Sae-ron wrote in her diary that they had been dating since November 19, 2015, and their relationship lasted until July 7, 2021—six years in total.”
They further claimed, “She trembled when she received that legal notice. She uploaded the photo with Kim Soo-hyun hoping it would force him to respond.”
March 15, 2025 – ‘Garo Sero’ Leaks Another Private Photo of Kim Soo-hyun
Garo Sero published another shocking photo of a man, allegedly Kim Soo-hyun, washing dishes at Kim Sae-ron’s house while not wearing pants.
Kim Soo-hyun’s side responded, “There is no reason for these private photos to be recklessly exposed. We ask that this be stopped. We are open to meeting with Kim Sae-ron’s family privately, as handling this publicly is inappropriate.”
However, Kim Sae-ron’s family rejected the meeting, demanding, “Kim Soo-hyun must first acknowledge that he dated Kim Sae-ron as a minor and apologize for denying their relationship for three years.”
March 16, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron’s Family Announces Lawsuit Against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho
Kim Sae-ron’s family, through their legal representative Bu Ji-seok, the head lawyer of Buyu Law Firm, announced their intention to sue Lee Jin-ho for defamation by spreading false information.
March 17, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron’s Family Holds Press Conference Amid Spreading “Elevator” Photo
Kim Sae-ron’s family announced their lawsuit against Lee Jin-ho for defamation and revealed at a press conference that they had found a second legal notice from Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, stating it included “demands for debt repayment” and a request “not to contact Kim Soo-hyun or other affiliated actors.”
Meanwhile, a 2017 photo resurfaced online, allegedly showing Kim Sae-ron with a man presumed to be Kim Soo-hyun. The YouTube channel Garo Sero claimed, “The elevator in the photo is from the apartment where Kim Sae-ron lived with her family as a minor,” and asserted, “the man next to her is Kim Soo-hyun.”
March 18, 2025 – Kim Soo-hyun’s Agency Denies Allegations Amid Video Release
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency firmly denied claims, stating, “The man in the photo is not Kim Soo-hyun,” and clarifying, “Kim Soo-hyun has never been to that apartment.” They also explained that the legal notice was “sent as part of the debt write-off process” and was meant “to clarify that debt-related matters were not the actor’s personal responsibility.”
In response, Garo Sero released a video allegedly showing Kim Soo-hyun inside Kim Sae-ron’s home, insisting the man in the footage was indeed him. They also announced plans for a forensic analysis of the late actress’s phone to address lingering suspicions. Kim Soo-hyun’s side has yet to make further statements.
March 19, 2025 – Lee Jin-ho Claims Kim Sae-ron Secretly Married in New York
Lee Jin-ho released a recorded conversation of Kim Sae-ron, where she allegedly said,
- She was dating a new boyfriend before her death.
- She became pregnant but was forced into marriage after being threatened by her boyfriend.
- She and her husband lived together in New York as newlyweds.
- She later had an abortion.
March 20, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron’s Family Shocked by Secret Marriage Claims, Reveals Hand-written Letter
Youtuber Garo Sero announced that they had met directly with the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron after Lee Jin-ho’s claims of marriage and abortion, saying, revealing that the family was completely unaware that Sae-ron had been married. They also denied claims about Kim Sae-ron’s manager paying for her hospital bills due to the family refusing to help.
A handwritten letter from Kim Sae-ron’s mother was also published, showing her strong feelings for her late daughter.
March 21, 2025 – Kim Sae-ron’s Family Shot Back at Lee Jin-ho’s Claims, Suspected Edited Audio
In a livestream session, YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute unveiled an official statement from Kim Sae-ron’s mother, where the family shot back at Lee Jin-ho’s legal threats. They also clarified the issue of Kim Sae-ron’s “fake aunt.”
At the same time, the authenticity of the audio released by Lee Jin-ho was suspected of having been maliciously edited. Additionally, Kim Sae-ron former manager insisted that they never provided the recording to Lee Jin-ho.
March 22 – Gold Medalist Employee Refuted Claims of Kim Sae-ron Working Unpaid, Sulli’s Brother Rouses Suspicions
A former Gold Medalist employee, identified as “A”, took to their personal account to refute the allegations from Kim Sae-ron’s family, stating that the claim about Kim Sae-ron taking on visual directing and working without pay “is entirely untrue.”
On the same day, it was suspected that the brother of the late Sulli jabbed at Kim Soo-hyun via his SNS updates.
March 24, 2025 – Police Launch Investigation
March 25, 2025 – New Allegations from Ex-Boyfriend, Family, and Husband
A person claiming to be Kim Sae-ron’s ex-boyfriend revealed in an interview that the actress as abused and forced into marriage by her husband, adding that the late actress has always been distant from her family. He also insisted that Kim Sae-ron’s death has nothing to do with Kim Soo-hyun.
Later on in the same day, both Kim Sae-ron family and her husband strongly refuted the claims of the alleged ex-boyfriend and acquaintance. The identity of the ex-boyfriend was also exposed, as Garo Sero claimed that he tried to exploit the actress and they only dated briefly.
The YouTube channel also unveiled a latter Kim Sae-ron tried to send to Kim Soo-hyun.
March 26, 2025 – Kim Soo-hyun Dated Multiple People, Relationship Contract Unveiled
A conversation recording between Kim Sae-ron’s close friendand reporter Lee Jin-ho was released through the controversial YouTube channel, Garo Sero. In the clip, A claimed, “70% of the reason Sae-ron died was because of Kim Soo-hyun, 25% because of Lee Jin-ho, and the remaining 5% was her ‘New York husband.’”
March 27, 2025 – Family’s Press Conference with Various Evidence
While the family urges the public to one down excessive criticism towards Kim Soo-hyun, they also announce plans to sue YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, claiming emotional harm.
Meanwhile, YouTuber Garo Sero revealed why he mentioned the “Nth room” case in relation to Kim Soo-hyun, adding that there are more evidence but the family will not reveal it for now to protect Kim Sae-ron image.