'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On March 31, 2025, an alleged former crew member claimed that Kim Soo-hyun's 2017 movie, Real, changed after his cousin, Lee Sarang, replaced the original director. The allegations were made on the platform Instiz.
Lee Sarang is also the co-founder of Gold Medalist alongside Kim Soo-hyun. Recent allegations from an individual claiming to be a former staff member suggest that explicit scenes were added after the original director was replaced by Kim Soo-hyun's cousin, Lee Sarang.
Real was initially directed by Lee Jung-sub, who is known for works like Romantic Island and Rainbow Eyes. The film appointed Lee Sarang to take over the director's chair. This transition raised eyebrows within the industry and among fans. According to a report by the outlet Dramabeans, this shift was one of the controversies that led to delays in the film's release.
Trending
The alleged former staff member claimed that following the directorial change, additional explicit scenes of Han Ji-eun and the late Sulli were added to the film. These scenes were not part of the original script and were added under Lee Sarang's direction. As translated to English by the outlet Koreaboo, the former staff member stated on Instiz:
"There were originally no bed scenes, and the special appearances of the two female celebrities weren’t part of the script. The movie wasn’t at the level to be criticized as a bad movie. I almost joined the production team as a scripter (they show the full scenario to scripters)."
The former staff member claimed that they learned numerous things from another acquaintance who worked under Lee Sarang while he directed the film. They added that Lee Sarang "re-arranged" the entire script after Lee Jung-sub left the project.
The individual said:
"The original director wrote the script, but Kim Soo Hyun’s cousin re-arranged it. I didn’t work for the movie, but I heard from acquaintances that Lee Jung Sub did film parts of the movie, but after Lee Sa Rang, who knows nothing about film, took over, he added extra scenes and ruined so many parts of the movie."
How did Sulli and her brother get embroiled in Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron's ongoing scandal?
Discussions regarding South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun and his 2017 film Real co-star, the late singer-actress Sulli, resurfaced in the wake of the controversy surrounding his alleged past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron.
On March 31, 2025, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference to address allegations that he had dated Kim Sae-ron when she was underage. He firmly denied these claims, stating that their romantic involvement began only after she reached adulthood.
Amidst ongoing controversy, Kim Soo-hyun's movie Real re-entered mainstream discussion. The film was released in 2017 and garnered attention for being heavily explicit, and it was also one of Sulli's prominent film roles after she left the girl group f(x).
The film received mixed reviews, with some viewers praising the film's boldness while others critiqued its plot and graphic scenes. Choi Jin-ri, aka Sulli, faced public backlash for her unclothed or nude scenes. This allegedly led to her mental and emotional duress. In October 2019, Sulli committed s*icide by hanging herself at her home.
Meanwhile, on February 16, 2025, Bloodhounds actress Kim Sae-ron committed s*icide at her home. On March 10, her alleged aunt and investigative YouTube channel, Garosero, claimed that Kim Soo-hyun dated the late Kim Sae-ron when she was 15 and he was 27.
Amidst mounting criticism against the actor, Sulli's brother, Choi Geon-hee, uploaded a few posts on Instagram. On March 30, 2025, he posted several messages on the platform, expressing his frustration and seeking answers regarding his sister's participation in Real.
In a post dated March 30, 2025, Sulli's brother, Choi Geon-hee, wrote:
"Was it fun tattling to Mom instead of talking to me, you weak man XX? So after 48 hours, what you came up with was calling our mom to shut me up? What a piece of XX, certified."
In another post, Choi Geon-hee criticized the structure of Kim Soo-hyun's press conference, particularly the absence of a Q&A session:
"Calling in dozens of reporters but saying there’ll be no Q&A—This is supposed to be a press conference? Let me become a celebrity too. If nothing else, I think I’d hold a better press conference than you."
Choi Geon-hee has publicly demanded explanations from Kim Soo-hyun and director Lee Sarang (also known as Lee Robe) regarding the explicit scenes in Real. He alleges that despite the availability of a body double, Sulli was persuaded to perform the nude scenes herself.
On March 31, 2025, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference and acknowledged that he had been in a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron approximately five years ago, which lasted about a year. He stressed that Kim Sae-ron was an adult at the time.
During the emotionally charged press conference, Kim Soo-hyun expressed deep remorse and distress over the situation. ABP News reported that he admitted to being preoccupied with preserving his career and acknowledged his reluctance to confront the rumors earlier, describing himself as a "coward."
