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On March 10, 2025, Star News reported that YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute accused Queen of Tears star Kim Soo-hyun of dating the late Kim Sae-ron when she was 15 and later harassing her with a 700 million KRW notice. The 37-year-old actor is known for dramas like It's Okay to Not Be Okay and Ordinary Day. These claims surfaced a month after Kim Sae-ron's tragic passing.
On February 16, 2025, Bloodhounds actress Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her apartment. She was 24, and police authorities ruled it as a s*icide.
Meanwhile, on March 10, Garosero Research Institute released a scathing accusation regarding actor Kim Soo-hyun after interviewing the late Kim Sae-ron's aunt who allegedly told the channel that the actor started dating Sae-ron in 2015, when she was 15 and Soo-hyun was 27.
In response to these allegations, Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, issued a statement refuting the claims made by Garosero.
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"Garosero Research Institute claimed that our company and actor Kim Soo-hyun colluded with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho to harass the late actress Kim Sae-ron. They claimed that the late actress Kim Sae-ron had dated Kim Soo-hyun since she was 15. They claimed that our agency handled the late actress Kim Sae-ron's drunk driving accident unfairly, and claimed that our manager was close with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho."
Gold Medalist declared taking stringent legal action against perpetrators spreading malicious information.
"However, all of these are false facts that we can absolutely not overlook, and our company plans to consider taking the strongest possible legal action against Garosero Research Institute for spreading false facts. We are heartbroken by the news of the death of the late actress Kim Sae Ron, who was once with our company, and we mourn the deceased."
Late Kim Sae-ron's aunt claims actor Kim Soo-hyun dated the actress for 6 years
On March 10, 2025, Koreaboo reported that Kim Soo-hyun established his agency, Gold Medalist in 2019. The media outlet quoted Garosero's claims that Sae-ron terminated her contract with YG Entertainment the same year and signed with Gold Medalist as she was dating the actor.
Furthermore, the late actress also provided free labor for the agency by giving rookies free acting classes, scouting new talents, and directing them. Garosero then claimed that the late actress and the Queen of Tears star broke up in 2022 after she was booked for a drunk-driving incident.
For the unversed, on May 18, 2022, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Kim Sae-ron was involved in a car accident in the Gangnam District of Seoul. Driving under the influence, she collided with multiple structures, including guardrails, street trees, and a transformer.
The impact caused a power outage that affected 57 businesses in the vicinity for about three hours, causing considerable inconvenience for local businesses.
After the incident, Gold Medalist reportedly offered to handle her DUI case and paid damages worth 700 million KRW (around $480,324.11). The actress' aunt told Garosero host Kim Se-ui, that Sae-ron expressed being grateful to Kim Soo-hyun for handling her DUI case. The aunt said that Sae-ron was determined to pay Kim Soo-hyun back.
“[She] said she would still like to work hard so she could pay him back eventually.”
In 2024, Kim Sae-ron's contract with Gold Medalist expired, and she was served a notice to pay back 700 million KRW (around $480,324.11) in full. The aunt recalled that the Bloodhounds actress tried to contact Kim Soo-hyun, but he was unreachable.
The actress then posted an old picture of her with Kim Soo-hyun on Instagram to spark a controversy. She hoped that he would contact her due to the controversy. At the time, Kim Soo-hyun's comeback K-drama, Queen of Tears, was airing on Netflix (March to April 2024).
However, instead of contacting Kim Sae-ron, Gold Medalist served her another notice of allegedly marring Kim Soo-hyun's reputation. The agency also dismissed the rumors as "groundless," clarifying that the photo was taken when both actors were under the same agency and that there was no romantic involvement.
On March 11, 2025, News18 reported that the aunt told Garosero that the Bloodhounds actress was "struggling financially." She said:
"Not being able to pay back the ₩700 million KRW, Kim Sae Ron was struggling financially, which led her to commit su*cide on Soo Hyun’s birthday."
In other news, the Seoul Central District Court fined the late actress 20 million KRW (approximately $13,715.02) on March 8, 2023, for her DUI incident. Facing financial difficulties, she reportedly took on part-time work in cafés to manage expenses.
