'%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 April 2, 2025, Star News reported that Kim Soo-hyun's legal team has refuted all allegations made by Garosero Research Institute regarding the "soju date" video released during a live broadcast. The actor is facing public backlash for allegedly dating the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.
LKB & Partners, the law firm representing Kim Soo-hyun and his agency GOLD MEDALIST, issued a statement on April 2, denying all claims made by the Garosero Research Institute regarding the actor's alleged relationship with Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor.
Trending
They stated that despite their refuting and debunking these claims, Garosero continues to spread misinformation using fabricated evidence and photos.
As reported by Star News, the statement read:
"We have refuted all of the grounds for the false claims that 'Ga Se-yeon' has been consistently asserting, but 'Ga Se-yeon' continues to spread false information based on fabricated evidence and photos."
The firm further emphasised that the allegations regarding the Queen of Tears actor dating late Kim Sae-ron were entirely untrue, and they are taking steps to counter all the claims presented.
LKB & Partners also stated that the "soju date" video, along with a photo of Kim Soo-hyun filming Kim Sae-ron while she was sleeping (which were revealed by Garosero during the live broadcast), were indeed taken in June 2018.
However, they denied that the duo were dating at that time, contrary to the claims made during the live broadcast. When the video and photo were taken, Kim Sae-ron was still a minor, as reported by Star News.
LKB & Partners further clarified that the filming location was Kim Soo-hyun's family apartment in Seongsu-dong. They explained that the late actress visited him during his vacations, and Soo-hyun's family members were also present in the apartment at that time.
They stated,
"Kim Sae-ron came to visit Kim Soo-hyun on his vacation, and Kim Soo-hyun's family was also there."
The statement from the actor's legal team comes days after Kim Se-ui, the owner of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, released additional photos and videos of Kim Soo-hyun on March 31, showing the actor on alleged romantic dates with Kim Sae-ron. The YouTuber even mocked the actor's press conference, where he denied dating the late actress when she was a minor.
Meanwhile, LKB & Partners has filed an additional complaint against Kim Se-ui, the owner of the YouTube channel, for violating the Stalking Punishment Act. They stated that from March 10, 2025, the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute has relentlessly broadcast false information about their client almost every day until March 31, 2025.
They alleged that Kim Se-ui shared personal photos, letters, and messages of the Dream High actor on his YouTube channel. They further said that the only way to stop these activities is through investigation and punishment.
As reported by Star News, they added,
"Gold medalist will continue to respond sternly to criminal acts such as the spread of false information by 'Gaseyeon' in the future."
More about the dating controversy of Kim Soo-hyun and late actress Kim Sae-ron
The controversy began when, in March 2024, Kim Soo-hyun denied dating rumors with actress Kim Sae-ron after she posted a photograph of them on Instagram. The actor's agency, GOLD MEDALIST, stated that they were unaware of the actress's intentions behind sharing the photo and even warned that they would take strict action.
Kim Sae-ron died on February 16, 2025, the same day as Soo-hyun's birthday, and her death was self-inflicted. Then, in March 2025, Kim Sae-ron's family revealed that the actor had allegedly been dating Kim Sae-ron since 2015, when she was 15 and he was 27.
GOLD MEDALIST denied all the claims but eventually confirmed that the duo had previously dated. But, they claimed that the two were in a relationship from 2019 to 2020, when the actress was of legal age.
However, on March 17, 2025, Kim Sae-ron's family revealed that GOLD MEDALIST had sent her a set of legal papers threatening her to repay a debt related to the compensation for her 2022 DUI incident. They even forbid her from contacting Soo-hyun or any other artist from the agency.
The bereaved family claimed that the entire incident contributed to the decline of her mental health and ultimately led her to end her life. On March 27, 2025, the family, represented by lawyer Bu Ji-seok, held a press conference and presented several pieces of evidence, which concluded that the duo dated when Kim Sae-ron was a minor.
Subsequently, on March 31, 2025, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference and denied all the allegations.
Following the press conference, the lawyer for the Queen of Tears actor, Kim Jong-bok, announced that they have filed a defamation lawsuit against the bereaved family and the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, also known as Hover Lab.
