South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears as he was talking at a information convention in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Picture/Lee Jin-man)
SEOUL — A younger actor’s suicide in South Korea. Allegations of an underage relationship. They’re a part of a rising drama within the Asian leisure world that raises questions on society’s remedy of celebrities in disaster, with harsh media and on-line commentary amplifying their lowest moments.
This week, South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun publicly denied allegations that he dated the late actor Kim Sae-ron when she was below the age of sexual consent. His emotional press convention adopted Kim Sae-ron’s suicide in February, which reignited allegations that they have been romantically concerned.
READ: Kim Sae-ron’s loss of life underscores the large stress on South Korean celebrities
Who was Kim Sae-ron?
Kim Sae-ron was as soon as one in every of South Korea’s most promising movie stars. She started appearing at age 9 within the 2009 movie “A Model New Life,” which premiered on the Cannes Movie Pageant. She gained additional recognition with “The Man from Nowhere” (2010) and “A Woman at My Door” (2014), additionally invited to Cannes.
Her profession halted in Could 2022 after she crashed her automobile in Seoul whereas driving below the affect. Regardless of providing a public apology and reportedly paying compensation to outlets that misplaced energy due to the crash, she confronted relentless damaging consideration.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: In South Korea, callers can obtain 24-hour counseling by way of the suicide prevention hotline 1577-0199, the “Life Line” service at 1588-9191, the “Hope Telephone” at 129 and the “Youth Telephone” at 1388.
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Media and on-line commentators scrutinized her private life. YouTube gossip channels accused her of exaggerating monetary difficulties and questioned her sincerity. Critics, and her household, say it contributed to her declining psychological well being.
She killed herself on Feb. 16, Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday.
READ: IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Remembering Kim Sae-ron’s profession past the controversy
Kim Soo-hyun, 37, additionally has been one in every of South Korea’s most acknowledged actors, identified for dramas corresponding to “My Love from the Star” (2013) and “Queen of Tears” (2024) in addition to movies like “The Thieves” (2012) and “Secretly, Drastically” (2013).
Hypothesis a couple of relationship with Kim Sae-ron started final 12 months when she posted a photograph of them collectively, rapidly deleted. Gold Medalist, the company co-founded by Kim Soo-hyun, denied the connection, in line with South Korean media.
Days after Kim Sae-ron’s loss of life, a YouTube channel identified for its politically charged content material, HoverLab, alleged that she and Kim Soo-hyun had been in a six-year romantic relationship starting in 2015, when she was 15 and he was in his late 20s. The channel launched what it referred to as proof together with pictures, movies and letters. Kim Soo-hyun has referred to as them fabricated.
Kim Sae-ron’s household had approached HoverLab to launch the supplies, calling it an try to revive Kim Sae-ron’s picture.
On March 27, a lawyer representing Kim Sae-ron’s household introduced to journalists what the household claimed was a photograph of an undelivered letter written in 2024 wherein Kim Sae-ron described Kim Soo-hyun as her “first and final love” and referenced a five-to-six-year relationship.
The letter was written after she failed to succeed in Kim Soo-hyun to debate a debt she owed his company, in line with the lawyer. After Kim Sae-ron’s contract ended and wasn’t renewed, the company requested her to pay again 700 million gained (about $520,000) in damages associated to her drunk-driving case. Her household says the demand positioned extreme stress on her.
Kim Soo-hyun has acknowledged that he dated Kim Sae-ron however insisted their relationship started after she grew to become an grownup. He referred to as claims of an underage relationship false and damaging.
“Additionally it is not true that the deceased made a tragic alternative due to my avoidance (of her), or as a result of my company pressured her about debt,” an emotional Kim informed Monday’s press convention.
He refused to reply a query from the AP about when he first met Kim Sae-ron.
Might there be authorized penalties?
Whether or not any legal guidelines have been damaged relies upon largely on timing. South Korea raised its age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 in 2020. Kim Sae-ron was born in 2000, and the household alleges the connection started in 2015, when she was 15 and Kim Soo-hyun was 27.
Kim Soo-hyun maintains that their relationship lasted from summer season 2019 to fall 2020, when Kim Sae-ron was a authorized grownup.
Kim Soo-hyun’s company has taken authorized motion in opposition to the household of Kim Sae-ron and HoverLab, which first aired the underage relationship claims, for distributing personal pictures and movies of the actor, together with pictures of Kim Soo-hyun kissing the late actor. Kim’s company mentioned Kim Sae-ron had visited his residence and his household was current. The company mentioned they weren’t courting on the time.
On Monday, Kim Soo-hyun’s lawyer introduced a civil lawsuit in search of 12 billion gained (roughly $8.15 million) in damages in opposition to the YouTube channel and Kim Sae-ron’s household, together with legal complaints alleging defamation and violation of privateness legal guidelines. Kim Soo-hyun and his company additionally sued the YouTube channel operator for stalking.
The household’s authorized consultant and HoverLab each informed the AP on Wednesday that they plan to sue Kim Soo-hyun and his company for making false claims about his relationship with the late actor.
What function did on-line harassment play?
Kim’s loss of life reignited criticism of South Korea’s relentless tabloid and digital media tradition. Her household has singled out movies with speculative, unverified content material portraying her as emotionally unstable and morally questionable.
Suing for defamation is commonly a prolonged, pricey battle for South Korean celebrities, as many platforms, like YouTube, are primarily based abroad. Punishments are sometimes mild, with fines or suspended sentences.
Different high-profile circumstances following damaging on-line consideration have included the deaths of Ok-pop singers Sulli and Goo Hara in 2019 and “Parasite” actor Lee Solar-kyun in 2023.
What’s the fallout?
Vogue model Prada has ended its collaboration with Kim Soo-hyun. South Korean cosmetics firm Dinto terminated its one-year contract with him, citing the seriousness of the controversy. 7-Eleven Taiwan canceled a Kim Soo-hyun fan occasion final month, citing schedule adjustments.
A web based petition this week calling for the age of consent to be raised from 16 to 19 has gathered almost 40,000 signatures on the Nationwide Meeting’s web site.
Instructed reforms in South Korea meant to discourage harsh on-line feedback haven’t been handed.
