Kim Soo Hyun's agency, GOLDMEDALIST, has issued a detailed statement addressing the ongoing controversy surrounding the actor's past relationship with the late actress, Kim Sae Ron. The statement, released on March 14, 2025, comes earlier than the agency's previously announced timeline for a response.
For the first time, GOLDMEDALIST acknowledged that Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were in a romantic relationship. However, the agency firmly denied speculation that their relationship began when Sae Ron was still a minor. According to their statement, the two stars started dating in the summer of 2019 and were together until the fall of 2020.
"Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae Ron became a legal adult, until the fall of 2020. It is not true that Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor. The photos shared by Kim Sae Ron on her Instagram Stories on March 24, 2024 and those shown in HoverLab’s broadcast on March 11, 2025 depict private moments of the two during their relationship in the winter of 2020," a part of GOLDMEDALIST's statement read, as translated by Soompi.
This statement contrasts with earlier reports by HoverLab Inc., also known as the Garo Sero Research Institute YouTube channel, which suggested that Soo Hyun and Sae Ron had been in a relationship for six years. The report also claimed that their relationship spanned the period when Soo Hyun completed his military service and founded GOLDMEDALIST. The actor enlisted in 2017 and was discharged in 2019.
GOLDMEDALIST has pushed back against allegations regarding Kim Soo Hyun's past relationship with Kim Sae Ron, arguing that the photos presented by HoverLab were taken in 2019—when Sae Ron was already of legal age. This directly contradicts reports claiming the photos date back to 2016.
The agency emphasized that they have obtained metadata for the images and can verify their timeline. "All the photos presented by HoverLab as evidence that Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron since her minor years were taken when she was an adult. The repeated claim by HoverLab that there are 'photos taken in 2016' is unfounded, as the two were not in a relationship at that time," GOLDMEDALIST stated.
Additionally, the agency addressed the reported letters Kim Soo Hyun allegedly sent to Kim Sae Ron during his military service. GOLDMEDALIST clarified that these letters were exchanges between close friends and should not be interpreted as romantic in nature.
"The letters Kim Soo Hyun sent to Kim Sae Ron during his military service were among the letters sent to close acquaintances. As can be seen from the content, Kim Soo Hyun was adapting to military life and often wrote in detail about his daily life to his friends. Expressions of missing someone are common among soldiers and their close friends," the agency explained.
This remains a developing story. For a full timeline of reports on Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron’s controversy, check out our coverage.
Kim Soo Hyun's Agency Addresses Reports On Kim Sae Ron's Debt Following Her 2022 Drunk Driving Incident
GOLDMEDALIST also refuted claims that Kim Soo Hyun pressured Kim Sae Ron to repay the estimated 700 million Korean won spent to settle her fine following her 2022 drunk driving incident. The agency reiterated that they assisted Sae Ron in managing her financial obligations, which initially amounted to approximately 1.014 billion Korean won.
"Due to HoverLab's reports, Kim Soo Hyun has been portrayed as the devil who drove Kim Sae Ron to her death. [...] The total penalty amount due to the incident was approximately 1.014 billion won. During the process of determining the compensation amount, we made efforts to minimize Kim Sae Ron's burden. Through her various efforts to repay the debt, the remaining compensation amount was reduced to about 700 million won," GOLDMEDALIST stated.
Regarding the loan certification sent to Sae Ron, the agency clarified that it was a standard procedural step as a company. The certification prompted Sae Ron to reach out to Kim Soo Hyun, requesting additional time to settle her debt. To support their claims, GOLDMEDALIST included a portion of their audit report highlighting Sae Ron's outstanding balance.
"This is why we sent a notice to Kim Sae Ron. To proceed with the provision process for the uncollectible accounts expense, we needed to send a notice to prove that we were not arbitrarily waiving our claims against her. There was also a realistic concern that Kim Sae Ron might have to pay a gift tax corresponding to the benefits she would gain from the debt waiver. The message Kim Sae Ron sent to Kim Soo Hyun on March 19, 2024 was written in this context. We needed to follow the process to provision for the uncollectible accounts expense through the notice," the agency explained.
GOLDMEDALIST Speaks Out On Kim Soo Hyun's Mental Health Amid Ongoing Allegations
Kim Soo Hyun is reportedly experiencing severe psychological distress amid ongoing allegations and public scrutiny. In the same statement addressing the controversy, GOLDMEDALIST urged an end to the speculation, asserting that the actor has become the victim of baseless claims propagated by the YouTube channel HoverLab Inc. (also known as Garo Sero Research Institute).
According to the agency's statement, all the information allegedly about Kim Soo Hyun that was exposed this week has caused the actor to exhibit signs of severe psychological instability. The agency further noted that individuals have been seen near the company's building, seemingly monitoring the actor;s movements.
The last parts of their statement read: (as translated by Soompi)
"Following HoverLab’s report, Kim Soo Hyun has been experiencing extreme confusion due to claims that the cause of the sudden death of the deceased is attributed to him. [...] The photos of the two individuals released by HoverLab are indeed real. However, that does not make HoverLab’s claims the 'truth."'By throwing out a few pieces of evidence that attract public attention and removing the context behind them, the truth is distorted, causing many to suffer. As mentioned earlier, we believe that the public's perspective and criticism regarding the series of events involving Kim Soo Hyun should be accepted. However, Kim Soo Hyun, simply because he is a public figure, cannot just unconditionally accept numerous falsehoods and personal attacks. The reactions to Kim Soo Hyun's private life that have been disclosed so far, or may be disclosed in the future, are something he must endure. However, we want to ask whether it is acceptable for the private matters of two adults to be disclosed without consent and whether he should have to endure all of this due to the non-consensual disclosure of private lives."
On March 13, 2025, Soompi reported that the actor attended the filming of the variety show, Good Day. The report cited a representative from the production team, who stated that while the filming proceeded as scheduled, the actor's participation was limited. "After checking, the filming proceeded as scheduled, but [Kim Soo Hyun's] participation was minimized," the representative said.
