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On March 26, 2025, Daily Sports reported that UFC star Choo Sung-hoon's agency confirmed that he did not pay for the late Kim Sae-ron's funeral.
Numerous rumors circulated in the past few days that former mixed martial artist (MMA) and television figure Choo Sung-hoon funded the funeral costs of the deceased actress. These rumors, which gained popularity across several online platforms, were firmly denied by Choo's agency, BONBOOENT.
The rumor initially spread through blogs and sites claiming that the two personalities, Choo Sung-hoon and Kim Sae-ron, were close friends after they met on the Channel A variety show titled The Fishermen and the City: Palau Edition.
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It was alleged that they were almost shown on the program as a father-daughter duo. Due to this, Choo Sung-hoon paid for her funeral after the late actress died on February 16, 2025.
The agency stated,
“The rumor that he paid all of Kim Sae Ron’s funeral expenses is not true. Choo Sung Hoon did appear as a guest on a variety show similar to the deceased in the past. However, they only met once on the program and did not develop any real relationship or friendship. Fake news that he paid all of the funeral expenses suddenly spread on SNS and YouTube.”
Actress Kim Sae-ron's tragic death leads to dating controversy with Kim Soo-hyun
The South Korean entertainment industry is grieving the passing of actress Kim Sae-ron, who died at age 24 on February 16, 2025, from s*icide. Her death sparked conversations about her personal struggles, alleged relationships, and pressures of being a public figure.
The actress began her career at nine years old and made her debut in the 2009 film A Brand New Life, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. She became widely known for her role alongside Won Bin in the 2010 film The Man from Nowhere. It became the highest-grossing film in Korea that year.
In May 2022, the late actress got embroiled in a DUI that resulted in a loss of finances and her acting career due to public backlash and lawsuits. Reportedly, her former agency, Gold Medalist, paid the DUI damages on her behalf of which amounted to 700 million KRW (around $480,000).
Following her death, allegations emerged regarding a past relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun. The YouTube channel Hoverlab claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, starting at age 15. These claims were supported by statements purportedly from Kim Sae-ron's family members.
Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, initially denied the allegations but later acknowledged the relationship. The agency stated that the two artists dated between mid-2019 to late 2020. The agency asserted that Kim Sae-ron was between 19 and 20 years old at the time.
Currently, on March 25, 2025, Naver reported that an individual claimed to be the late actress's ex-boyfriend. The man claimed that Kim Soo-hyun has no connection with Kim Sae-ron's s*icide.
The ex-boyfriend even showed alleged hospital bills, stressing that Gold Medalist paid for the late actress's bills in November 2024 when she attempted to harm herself.
However, on March 26, Pannchoa reported that the man was proven to be an impostor. The bills were reportedly fabricated and the late actress's family showed the original hospital bills.
