Actor Kim Soo Hyun’s legal representatives have once again denied allegations made by the family of the late actress Kim Sae Ron, firmly stating that the reported “thousands of photos” between the two do not exist.
On November 12, attorney Ko Sang Rok of Phil Law Firm, representing Kim Soo Hyun, issued an official statement saying, “There are no thousands of photos, and there cannot be.”
He also addressed claims made by the Garosero Research Institute, which alleged that certain ski resort photos were taken when Kim Sae Ron was a minor. “Attorney Bu Ji Seok, the legal representative of the bereaved family, reportedly clarified that he never told Garosero Research Institute that those photos were taken during the deceased’s teenage years,” Ko said.
Regarding the photo showing Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron face to face, Ko explained, “That photo was made public before the current legal representative was appointed, so he has no comment on it.” He added, “The family reportedly believed the photo was taken when Kim Sae Ron was a first-year high school student, though it was actually taken during her second year of university. As we have stated several times, such claims are not reasonable.”
The statement also refuted claims concerning alleged KakaoTalk messages from 2016 and 2018. “The claim that the 2016 message, ‘When can I fall asleep in your arms,’ was from Kim Soo Hyun is based solely on the assertion of Kim Sae Ron’s sibling and is groundless,” the lawyer said. “Similarly, the 2018 message, ‘If you will not try, brother,’ has no evidence linking it to Kim Soo Hyun.”
Kim Soo Hyun’s representatives clarified that there are no additional letters beyond the publicly known military correspondence. “The so-called ‘internet letter’ mentioned by the family is not something a soldier can send. Those were public letters from fans, not private communications,” they said. “Kim Soo Hyun never sent personal emails to the deceased during his military service.”
They also responded to the claim that the late actress wrote a personal note in September 2017 referring to Kim Soo Hyun. “The note does not identify who it addresses,” they explained. “Even the reference to someone awaiting enlistment could relate to another situation, such as studying abroad or training. Therefore, the note holds no evidentiary value.” The legal team added that if any posthumous fabrication is confirmed by police, it would itself constitute grounds for arrest.
Addressing the family’s claim that Kim Sae Ron attempted self-harm on January 8, the lawyer countered, “At that time, she was in the United States completing marriage registration procedures.”
Kim Soo Hyun’s team emphasized that the family has never claimed the actress’s death was caused by Kim Soo Hyun. “The bereaved family has never believed or asserted that the deceased suffered or died because of Kim Soo Hyun, and they continue to maintain that position,” the statement said. “This demonstrates a clear difference between the stance of Garosero Research Institute’s representative Kim Se Eui, who continues to accuse Kim Soo Hyun, and that of the bereaved family.”
The legal team also addressed the November 2022 party invitation titled 'Requirements: Body and Alcohol,' saying, “The invitation was distributed by the deceased herself. There is no verified evidence that it was created by someone else.”
According to the statement, before her contract expired, Kim Sae Ron left for an extended trip to Europe on September 12 without informing her agency, planning to return on October 1. “During that period, the company and her manager received several reports that she was attending drinking gatherings with acquaintances. After careful consideration, the agency decided not to renew her contract after it expired later that year,” they explained.
The statement also referenced the “deleted photo incident” from March 2024, when Kim Sae Ron uploaded and quickly removed a photo of Kim Soo Hyun. “The company regarded the act as a form of blackmail,” they said. “Although the company had not expected to recover the 700 million KRW (about 520,000 USD) owed by the deceased, it decided to fully forgive the debt after that incident.”
“The deceased’s so-called ‘plan that could not fail’ succeeded as intended,” the statement continued. “Afterward, she became increasingly anxious about the possibility of a fabricated statement being made public. About a year later, she passed away, and that fabricated statement, along with a letter that was never intended to be sent and a photo taken in February 2020, was released to the public by Garosero Research Institute.”
The statement concluded, “Kim Se Eui has continued to claim, even last week, that actor Kim Soo Hyun drove Kim Sae Ron to her death, despite the bereaved family denying any such position.”
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