"Can’t men and women date?" — Veteran actress Kim Bu-seon defends Kim Soo-hyun amidst the actor's controversy on dating a minor

Amid the escalating public scrutiny, veteran actress Kim Bu-seon released a video on her YouTube channel criticizing the public's treatment of celebrities, including Kim Soo-hyun.

On March 20, 2025, Chosun Sports reported that in the video, titled "Celebrities' human rights are less protected than serial killers!!!", Kim Bu-seon questioned the severity of the backlash against Kim Soo-hyun.

She argued that celebrities' human rights are often less protected than those of serious criminals, suggesting that the public outrage is disproportionate. She said,

"That's so cowardly. Can't men and women date? Isn't this an era where freedom of expression is abundant? Celebrities' human rights are not even as bad as those of serial killers.[...] But now, because they need that damn witch hunt, they're trying to witch-hunt the young actor Kim Soo-hyun."

She also highlighted how the late Kim Sae-ron had to pay the price for her DUI incident and lost her career. Kim Bu-seon claimed that the YouTube video reporting on Kim Sae-ron's death in February 2025 was filled with malicious comments by online users.

Veteran actress Kim Bu-seon questioned society's moral compass and recalled reading malicious comments that targeted the late Kim Sae-ron even after she had passed away. Kim Bu-seon said,

"More than 80% of the comments were malicious. It was like a festival atmosphere. I thought, what a sick society. I wondered if people could be this cruel in the face of human death. Is that actress the only one who drives drunk? And that actress paid a sufficient social price for drunk driving. She didn't even get to work? But does she have to endure pain and criticism even after she passes away?"

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Kim Soo-hyun's agency reportedly suing Garosero and Kim Sae-ron's family for defamation amidst controversy

The controversy began when the Garosero Research Institute released a video featuring an alleged conversation with Kim Sae-ron's aunt on March 10, 2025. In the video, the aunt claimed that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron dated for six years, starting when she was 15 and he was 27.

Additionally, the video alleged that Kim Sae-ron faced financial pressure from Gold Medalist, leading to significant stress before her untimely death.

For the unversed, the Bloodhouds actress was found dead in her Seoul apartment at 4.55 PM (KST), on February 16, 2025. Police found no farewell note and ruled it as a potential s*icide.

The situation escalated when Kim Sae-ron's family held a press conference alongside Garosero Research Institute on March 17.

They alleged that Gold Medalist had pressured Kim Sae-ron to repay a debt of 700 million won (approximately $478,298) related to damages from her 2022 DUI incident.

In response to Garosero's allegations, Gold Medalist issued a firm denial. The agency emphasized that such accusations were not only defamatory toward Kim Soo-hyun but also insulted the dignity of the deceased actress.

They announced plans to pursue the strongest possible legal action against those spreading false information.

On March 20, 2025, Gulf News reported that Gold Medalist officially declared their intention to file a criminal lawsuit against Garosero Research Institute for disseminating unfounded rumors.

“Posting the photograph on a YouTube channel constitutes a clear criminal act, and Hoverlab has stated that they will continue to release similar photos. Given these circumstances, Gold Medalist has no choice but to take legal action."

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Kim Soo-hyun has reportedly lost several brand endorsement contracts amidst ongoing controversy. PRADA, China CUCKOO, Dinto, Jo Malone London, HomePlus, and more have terminated their deals and removed ads featuring him. Furthermore, Eider reportedly halted ads and campaigns featuring Kim Soo-hyun.