Actor Kim Soo-hyun appeared in public for the first time in 21 days after the late Kim Sae-ron's family revealed private details. He maintained his previous stance that he dated the late Kim Sae-ron for a year after she became an adult, stating, "Acknowledging my relationship with the deceased was a choice made as the star Kim Soo-hyun, not as the human Kim Soo-hyun. If I could go back to that time, I would make the same choice again, and I sincerely apologize for disappointing you."
On the afternoon of the 31st, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, stating, "There was no relationship during her minor years, nor was there any pressure for money," and added, "I cannot accept the threats and coercion from the family to acknowledge false facts, nor the attacks labeling me as a 'murderer'."
Present at the event were Kim Soo-hyun, his legal representative from LK Partners, lawyer Kim Jong-bok, and co-representative of Golden Medalist, Ahn Seong-su, and there was no separate Q&A session.
Kim Soo-hyun, dressed in all black, greeted the press after stepping onto the stage and took the microphone. He said, "Hello, I am Kim Soo-hyun. First of all, I apologize."
He continued, "It seems that too many people are suffering because of me," and added, "I feel sorry that the deceased (Kim Sae-ron) cannot rest peacefully."
He described himself as a "coward," saying, "I have always been preoccupied with protecting what I have. I was always afraid of losing something or being harmed, and I was busy running away and denying it." He mentioned that this is why it took a long time for him to speak out.
Kim Soo-hyun expressed, "I wonder how it would have been if I had told everything from the beginning at this place," and said, "If I had done that, I believe that the fans who loved me and the company staff who have worked hard until this moment would not have suffered so much."
He shared, "Every time our private lives were exposed, I thought, 'Let's just talk about everything tomorrow. Let's say it all directly. Let's end this hellish situation,'" while shedding tears. However, he added, "But every time, I hesitated. I was afraid of how my decision would affect those around me. I kept thinking about whether I would make things worse for myself and everyone."
Kim Soo-hyun recalled, "When the late Kim Sae-ron first posted a photo of us during the airing of 'Queen of Tears,' I had been dating her for about a year and denied it at that time. It is natural for you to criticize my actions. I understand if you cannot believe what happened between the deceased and me," and confessed, "I chose and acted as the star Kim Soo-hyun rather than the human Kim Soo-hyun."
He added, "Even if I could go back to that moment, even if I returned to the time of 'Queen of Tears,' I think I would make the same decision. I cannot only think of the human Kim Soo-hyun. I believe that is my responsibility for choosing the life of 'Kim Soo-hyun.' If you criticize this choice as cowardly or selfish, I will accept it."
He continued, "I apologize to everyone who has cared for me," bowing at a 90-degree angle. He then said, "Even at this moment, I am scared, trembling, and afraid. I am afraid of what the consequences of these words will be, but ultimately, I feel that I must speak because I am this kind of person," and he wept uncontrollably.
Kim Soo-hyun stated, "Every day, there are threats of exposing my private life, and even in this fearful situation, I cannot acknowledge what is not true," and reiterated, "I have never dated the deceased during her minor years. The claim that the deceased died due to pressure from the agency to repay debts is also unfounded."
Furthermore, he said, "If there is something I need to take responsibility for, I will. However, I cannot admit to something I did not do. I cannot accept being forced to accept lies as truth. The family continues to spread false information," and revealed actual chat messages exchanged with the deceased.
Earlier, the family of the late Kim Sae-ron claimed through the YouTube channel 'Garo Sero Research Institute' that Kim Sae-ron dated actor Kim Soo-hyun for six years from November 19, 2015, when she was in the third year of middle school, until July 7, 2021, and that after leaving her agency, she was psychologically pressured by a debt repayment notice of 700 million won from Golden Medalist. On the 27th, they held a press conference and also revealed private messages exchanged between Kim Soo-hyun and the deceased.
In contrast to the family's claims, Kim Soo-hyun's side refuted that he dated the late Kim Sae-ron from the summer of 2019, when she was an adult, until the fall of 2020. Initially, when the dating rumors first surfaced last year, they denied the relationship as "false information," but later changed their stance to "we dated for two years after Kim Sae-ron became an adult." Following repeated exposures of private photos, they reported the family and Gaseyeon.
Additionally, Kim Soo-hyun faced another controversy when A, the older brother of Sulli, raised suspicions regarding the filming of a bed scene in Sulli's movie 'Real' (2017).
A stated, "I learned from the testimonies of staff and actors at Sulli's funeral in 2019," and urged, "I heard that the bed scene between Sulli and Kim Soo-hyun was not originally specified in the script, and I would like to hear Kim Soo-hyun's and his cousin's, the director's, stance on this."
He also publicly questioned why, despite having a body double during the filming of 'Real,' they pressured Sulli into bed scenes and nude scenes, and why they told her that "the body double was sick and could not come," asking if all of these claims were true. Additionally, he has been continuously posting targeting comments on his personal SNS.
