"Will reveal the truth until the end"‐ YouTuber Lee Jin-ho responds to a lawsuit from Kim Sae-ron’s family, defends reporting on her private life

On March 17, 2025, Sports Chosun reported that YouTuber Lee Jin-ho responded to the lawsuit filed against him by Kim Sae-ron’s family. In a video uploaded to his channel, he defended his coverage of the late actress and stated that he would continue to reveal the truth despite the legal action. The controversy escalated following a press conference held earlier that day at a law firm in Seoul.

Kim Sae-ron’s legal representative, Boo Ji-seok, announced that the family had officially filed a defamation lawsuit against Lee Jin-ho. During the press conference, Boo Ji-seok stated that the YouTuber had continuously spread false information about Kim Sae-ron’s personal life, particularly regarding her rumored relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun.

They blamed him as one of the reasons for pressuring the actress to take her life on Kim Soo-hyun's birthday on February 16.

In his latest YouTube video, Lee Jin-ho stated that he had received notice of the lawsuit on March 16. While he expressed sympathy for the family’s loss, he insisted that there were several inaccuracies in their claims. The video is titled:

"My Position on the Lawsuit… I Will Reveal the Truth Until the End."

He denied ever calling Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun’s relationship a fabrication and questioned why no legal action was taken against other media outlets that covered similar reports. He said in the video,

"There are so many parts where the facts are so different, so I would like to correct this part at least. I have never said, 'Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun's relationship is false,'" and "If I had stated from the beginning that it was a fabrication, there would have been no reason to reveal this. The positions of the legal representative and the bereaved family are conflicting."

The family argued that his reports misrepresented the truth and caused unnecessary speculation.

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More about the details of the case, press conference, and Lee Jin-ho’s latest response

Kim Sae-ron’s family accused Lee Jin-ho of spreading misinformation, specifically about her alleged past relationship with Kim Soo-hyun. They claimed that his reports labeled it as a staged event, which they asserted was false.

The lawsuit was filed after months of growing tension between the family and the YouTuber, who has been covering the topic since 2022.

Regarding allegations that he had contacted the family during their mourning period, Lee Jin-ho explained that he had visited Kim Sae-ron’s resting place to pay his respects.

However, after learning from staff that her remains had been moved, he contacted her father. He denied accusations that he had disturbed the family, calling such claims misleading.

Lee Jin-ho also expressed frustration that his clarifications had been ignored in favor of one-sided accusations. He stated that if false claims about him continued to circulate, he would have no choice but to take legal action himself. He said:

"Since this incident, whenever suspicions and issues regarding the content have been raised, I have continuously expressed my position through my community and videos. However, my rebuttal has not been properly included so far. If only one-sided claims from Ga Se-yeon remain as they are now, I will have no choice but to take legal action."

Lee Jin-ho further added that while he had evidence to support his reporting, he had chosen not to release it out of respect for Kim Sae-ron and to avoid fueling unnecessary controversy.

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Meanwhile, Kim Sae-ron's side held a press conference on March 17 where YouTuber Garosero was also present with the attorney. They revealed that they had found a second certified letter that Soo-hyun's side sent to the actress, allegedly causing her financial and mental distress before she took her own life.