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On March 20, 2025, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency GOLD MEDALIST announced their filing of criminal suits against both the operator of Garo Sero Research Institute and Kim Sae Ron’s family.
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"GOLD MEDALIST, managing actor Kim Soo Hyun, has filed a criminal complaint against Kim Sae Eui, operator of YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (hereinafter 'Garo Sero'), who posted a photo of actor Kim Soo Hyun taken with his pants down during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel today. The complaint also involves the bereaved family of late actress Kim Sae Ron and an unidentified individual claiming to be Kim Sae Ron’s aunt, who allegedly provided the photo to Kim Sae Eui for posting."
The lawsuit is in reference to an alleged photo of Kim Soo Hyun at Kim Sae Ron’s residence.
According to the company, the photo’s release constituted an act of sexual harassment.
"The charges include violations under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (distribution of footage filmed using cameras, etc.)."
GOLD MEDALIST conveyed their deep sadness over the passing of actress Kim Sae Ron, once a member of their agency, with continued mourning of her loss. They contested the photo of Kim Soo Hyun published on Garo Sero's channel, taken during his relationship with adult Kim Sae Ron. The photo contains an image of Kim Soo Hyun’s body, potentially causing him sexual humiliation, and should not have been made public. The company deemed its dissemination a criminal act, with Garo Sero’s threats to release similar photos compelling legal action.
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They also warned of further legal measures.
"Publicly displaying footage of another’s body, provoking sexual desire or humiliation without consent, constitutes a serious crime. We implore against repeating such actions."
Additionally, GOLD MEDALIST criticized the spread of false information by Kim Sae Ron’s bereaved family and Garo Sero through various media, escalating unfounded rumors. Initially refraining from legal action out of respect for Kim Sae Ron’s untimely death, they eventually filed a complaint against her family due to unauthorized photo distribution. Further dissemination of such falsehoods might prompt comprehensive legal action to safeguard agency and actor honor.
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Previously, on March 18, actor Kim Soo Hyun's agency Gold Medalist rebutted claims, denying his visit to Kim Sae Ron’s home.
Here is the specific statement below:
The bereaved family is requested to stop spreading false information
The bereaved family has been making many false claims about our agency and Kim Soo Hyun. For example, they have claimed that no visit was made on our side to the deceased’s funeral. However, we left a condolence wreath, we visited the funeral twice on February 17 and February 19, and we also met with the bereaved family in person to offer our condolences and left condolence money.
Garo Sero Institute referred to the whistleblower who leaked Kim Soo Hyun’s private life as “Kim Sae Ron’s aunt.” However, other media reports have stated that the whistleblower is not actually her [biological] aunt. During the press conference, the bereaved family stated, “The deceased’s mother does not have a married sister [aka an aunt]. Instead, the aunt who was recently interviewed is someone like a mother to Sae Ron, even more than her real mother.” They described her as “closer than a real aunt.” In the media, when someone is called an “aunt,” it generally refers to the mother’s sister. Whether the whistleblower is an actual relative or simply a close acquaintance will significantly impact public trust in the information shared through the media. However, during the press conference, the bereaved family was unclear about whether the whistleblower is truly a relative or just someone close to the family. Recently, several industry insiders have informed us that the whistleblower in question is actually the mother of a different actor.
The most important aspect of a whistleblower’s report is whether the information is true, not the identity of the whistleblower. We are fully aware of this. However, we are bringing up the whistleblower’s identity because the bereaved family stated in their press conference that “targeting a family member is a big mistake.” Yet they also shared private photos of Kim Soo Hyun without his consent. These photos, which were previously revealed in a broadcast featuring Kim Sae Ron, were taken in a home she moved into after becoming an adult. They have no connection to the [minor] timeline of the alleged relationship that the bereaved family claims. Despite this, the bereaved family justified their actions under the guise of “targeting a family member is a serious mistake” and unlawfully disclosed Kim Soo Hyun’s private life. Garo Sero Institute further fueled the situation by repeatedly teasing the release of new photos and exaggerating the context of them with their provocative language. The bereaved family has cited the media coverage of the deceased’s private life as one of the reasons behind her passing. If that is the case, we must ask, what exactly are the bereaved family and Garo Sero Institute doing to Kim Soo Hyun now then?
Garo Sero Institute once again claimed on YouTube that Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor, using a photo posted on June 23, 2017, by a fan SNS account for Kim Sae Ron as evidence. However, the person in the photo is not Kim Soo Hyun, but someone else. They argued that the outfit worn by the person in the photo resembles a product Kim Soo Hyun modeled for. However, the jacket in the photo and the one Kim Soo Hyun advertised are from different brands.
Even though the photo posted became a hot topic, we did not feel the need to respond to groundless suspicions coming from an image where the person’s face isn’t even recognizable. However, the bereaved family is now using this faceless photo as their evidence to claim that Kim Soo Hyun frequently visited the apartment where Kim Sae Ron lived with her family when she was a minor and that they secretly met when her family was not home. Kim Soo Hyun has never been to the apartment that Garo Sero Institute visited, pointing at a specific elevator and saying, “This is the one.” The only people who went there were Garo Sero Institute, not Kim Soo Hyun.
The bereaved family unlawfully disclosed Kim Soo Hyun’s private life simply because the term “closer than a biological aunt” was mentioned. They also had never previously claimed that Kim Soo Hyun frequently visited Kim Sae Ron’s family home when she was a minor or that they secretly met up there. But as soon as that photo gained attention, they suddenly began making these allegations. We urge you to stop creating baseless allegations, using a single unrelated photo or an arbitrary online post to distort the truth and manipulate the narrative.