Reports of South Korean star Won Bin allegedly quitting smoking due to Kim Sae-ron surfaces amidst Kim Soo-hyun's scandal

On March 13, 2025, Kbizoom reported that South Korean star Won Bin allegedly quit smoking for the late actress Kim Sae-ron. During the filming of the 2010 action thriller The Man from Nowhere, Won Bin worked closely with 10-year-old Kim Sae-ron and decided to quit smoking to create a healthier environment on set.

Reports from Hans Economy (aka Hans Biz) indicated that he maintained his non-smoking habit even after the film's completion. Furthermore, he gifted then-10-year-old Kim Sae-ron with a pink laptop, a blanket, a toy plushie, and more.

The recent reemergence of this story has touched many fans and netizens, especially in light of Kim Sae-ron's tragic passing.

For the unversed, Kim Sae-ron died by su*cide on February 16, 2025. She was 24 years old. Won Bin also attended her funeral the following day to pay his respects. Reportedly, the actor seemed distressed and saddened and left the moment reporters started circling him.

Furthermore, on March 12, 2025, The Express Tribune reported Won Bin offering to secretly help the late actress by paying her 700 million KRW (around $481,496.77) to Gold Medalist. However, Kim Soo-hyun allegedly stopped him from doing so.

It is important to note that this evidence is yet to be verified despite being reported by every global media outlet.

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Kim Soo-hyun and late Kim Sae-ron's alleged relationship, evidence, and more

On March 10, 2025, allegations surfaced claiming that Kim Soo-hyun dated Sae-ron when she was a minor. The alleged relationship started in 2015 when Sae-ron was 15 and Kim Soo-hyun was 27.

The controversy intensified when the YouTube channel Garosero (@Hoverlab) released a video featuring a family member of Kim Sae-ron, who alleged that they have 200 photos to prove that Kim Soo-hyun dated the Bloodhounds actress since 2015 for six years.

On March 13, 2025, to support these claims, Hoverlab presented an alleged handwritten letter dated June 9, 2018, purportedly from Kim Soo-hyun to Sae-ron during his military service. In the alleged letter, he affectionately referred to her as "Saero-Nero," a nickname highlighting their romantic bond.

"June 9, 2018 To SaeroNero...[...] The younger guys here keep pulling me into their flow, and now I’m even thinking, 'Should I go back to school and finish my degree?' Wait, would that mean we’d end up going school together?! [...] So yeah, Please keep take caring of me." (translation provided by Korea Deok0).

Reportedly, Kim Sae-ron's aunt claimed during Garosero's (@Hoverlab) YouTube livestream on March 12, 2025, that Kim Soo-hyun allegedly asked the actress to marry him. She was in her 20s when the discussion of marriage took place.

Adding fuel to the controversy, Garosero released an alleged picture of Kim Soo-hyun kissing Kim Sae-ron on the cheek, which has spread like wildfire across various social platforms on March 12, 2025.

The image drew mixed reactions from both fans and the general public, with many expressing shock and disappointment, especially considering the large age gap between Kim Soo-hyun and Sae-ron.

In response to the mounting allegations, on March 13, 2025, The Korea Times reported that Gold Medalist described the accusations as "baseless falsehoods" and announced intentions to pursue strong legal action against those disseminating such information.

The agency emphasized that there was no romantic relationship between Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron and that any claims suggesting otherwise were unfounded. They also informed to address the controversy via a press conference next week.

"We would like to address the recent content regarding Kim Soo Hyun that was broadcasted on the YouTube channel HoverLab Inc. Gold Medalist will clarify the facts and respond to the baseless rumors by presenting a clear and substantiated position next week."

Adding another layer to the controversy, Dispatch reported that the agency had demanded repayment of approximately 700 million KRW (around $481,496.77) from Kim Sae-ron, with a due date of December 31, 2023.

Gold Medalist paid 700 million KRW in damages to cover Kim Sae-ron's DUI case in 2022. The actress was booked for drunk driving and crashing her car into a transformer. This led to a power outage in 57 shops in the radar, disrupting their businesses for over 3 hours. The court fined her 20 million KRW and ordered her to pay 700 million KRW to the affected businesses.

However, after more than a year, Gold Medalist served the late actress with a legal notice for debt settlement and asked her to pay them back. They also did not renew her contract with the agency. Kim Sae-ron tried to contact Kim Soo-hyun to ask for his help, but the actor completely ghosted her.

Garosero released an alleged screenshot of Sae-ron's text to Kim Soo-hyun, dated March 19, 2024. She begged the Queen of Tears actor to give her some time to repay him. She also asked him to save her from Gold Medalist's lawsuit.

"Oppa, it’s Saeron. I received the legal notice, it says you're suing me... You said you would give me plenty of time, so I've been working hard to prepare for my comeback. I plan to gradually pay back a percentage from each project I take on," she said.

Kim Sae-ron continued:

"I'm not saying that I won't pay the money back, but if you ask me for 700 Million KRW right now, I just physically can't. Do we really have to resort to a lawsuit? Please save me...I'm begging you. Please give me some time."

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Due to the ongoing controversy, Kim Soo-hyun reportedly lost approximately 300,000 followers on Instagram. Additionally, he was removed from MBC's variety show Good Day by G-DRAGON and reportedly will not be filming the next episode.

Fans have been pressuring several brands associated with Kim Soo-hyun to cut ties. They have been threatening boycotts of those brands if their partnerships continued with the actor. Jeju Airways reportedly made their ads private that involved the actor.