South Korean star Kim Soo Hyun’s talent agency, Gold Medalist, has confirmed that the actor and late South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship.
Despite initially deying the dating allegations, Gold Medalist said in a statement released on Friday, March 14, that Soo Hyun and Sae-ron indeed dated, but emphasized it occurred after the actress became a legal adult, not during her minor years.
The management also denied allegations that Soo Hyun’s agency pressured the late actress to repay 700 million won (approximately $481,300) and included images as evidence. Saeron was previously part of the agency.
Sae-ron passed away on February 16, 2025 — the same day as Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday.
The full statement read:
“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. The outfit worn by Kim Sae Ron in those photos was released by a brand in June 2019, making HoverLab’s claim that the photos were taken in 2016, when Kim Sae Ron was a minor, impossible.
“[…] The extremely private lives of the two have been forcibly exposed by others, causing immense pain not only to Kim Soo Hyun but also to those around both individuals. After their private lives were disclosed through HoverLab, the public’s various perspectives on Kim Soo Hyun’s choices are unavoidable. However, the past days of two adults dating and breaking up have been distorted by others, leading to the spread of countless lies even at this moment. It is incredibly painful for one person to endure such matters due to their private life. Additionally, it is an act of prying into the deceased’s private life and defaming their character.”
Soo Hyun’s agency earlier denied allegations made by Youtube channel HoverLab Inc. (also known as Garo Sero Institute) that Soo Hyun had a long-term relationship with Sae Ron when she was still a minor.
In a Youtube video, HoverLab Inc claimed that Kim Soo-hyun dated Sae Ron when she was 15 years old while he was 27.
The agency called such claims as “clearly false and baseless.” The agency also stated they are currently exploring the “strongest possible legal actions” against HoverLab Inc. for spreading misinformation.
