Actor Kim Soo-hyun and the family of the late Kim Sae-ron have ended up in a legal confrontation.
On the afternoon of the 31st, Kim Soo-hyun held an emergency press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul, marking his first official appearance since the controversy. Kim Soo-hyun was accompanied by his legal representative, LK Partners.
Emphasizing that he did not date Kim Sae-ron during her minor years, Kim Soo-hyun stated, "I will accept any criticism for the choices I made. However, that does not mean that all untrue things become true. Just as I went through a verification process regarding the KakaoTalk messages, I will ensure that everything the family presents as evidence is thoroughly verified through investigative agencies."
Kim Soo-hyun stated, "If the evidence the family has is the real truth, I request that they submit all materials to the investigative agencies and have them verified through legal procedures," adding, "At this very moment, there are people I am responsible for who are looking only at me. I see those people suffering and collapsing every day. I am afraid of what they will expose next and how they will distort the truth to portray me as a murderer."
He continued, "After this press conference, I cannot predict what fake evidence and false testimonies they will use to defame me and harass those around me. However, if I succumb to pressure and call a lie the truth, I will betray not only the human Kim Soo-hyun but also everyone who has given their trust and love to the star Kim Soo-hyun. It would cause lifelong pain to those who would think, 'I was deceived by Kim Soo-hyun, who liked human trash.' Even if I live wearing a mask as a celebrity, I cannot do that."
"What I did is what I did. I can accept any criticism for that," Kim Soo-hyun said. "But what I did not do is what I did not do. For all those who still believe in me, I want to clarify that. I will not ask you to believe me. I will prove it."
Kim Soo-hyun's legal representative, attorney Kim Jong-bok from LK Partners, explained the lack of a Q&A session by stating, "Kim Soo-hyun has directly expressed his position on the recent issues. Based on that position, Kim Soo-hyun and the gold medalist have decided to file criminal and civil complaints against those involved to clarify the facts."
Attorney Kim stated, "We have attached a complaint against the family and an unidentified person who claims to be an aunt, as well as the operator of the Gaseyeon, for violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, and defamation. We are proceeding with a lawsuit claiming damages amounting to 12 billion won."
Additionally, Attorney Kim explained, "The reason Kim Soo-hyun and his agency are not accepting further Q&A is that the current issue has become a subject of investigation and requires legal judgment. We kindly ask for your understanding."
Currently, the family of Kim Sae-ron claims that the deceased dated Kim Soo-hyun for six years starting from the age of 15, and that they suffered from pressure from the former agency to repay a penalty of 700 million won following a drunk driving accident.
On the other hand, Kim Soo-hyun, who denied the dating rumors when Kim Sae-ron posted a photo of them cheek-to-cheek last April, has changed his stance to acknowledge the relationship after the family released photos proving their dating, while maintaining that they only dated for a year after Kim Sae-ron became an adult and that they never dated during her minor years.
In addition, the family of the late Sulli has also raised issues regarding exposure scenes from the movie "Real," demanding an explanation from Kim Soo-hyun.
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
