No Pressure for "Queen of Tears" Damages
Agency Denies Allegations
Actor Kim Soo-hyun's agency Gold Medalist has denied allegations that the 'second certified letter' sent to the late Kim Sae-ron financially pressured the deceased and also demanded damages from the 'Queen of Tears.' They stated, "There is no such content anywhere in the certified letter."
Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, announced on the 18th, "We would like to address the claims made by the late Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family during the press conference held with the Garosero Research Institute (Gase-yeon) on March 17 and on the Gase-yeon YouTube channel."
Gold Medalist clarified the suspicions related to the second certified letter disclosed by Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family and the involvement of entertainment reporter-turned-YouTubers.
Previously, on the day before, Bu Ji-seok, the lead attorney from law firm Buyu representing the deceased's family, Kwon Young-chan, director of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association, and Kim Se-ui, head of the Garosero Research Institute, held a press conference at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno-gu, Seoul, stating, "After Kim Soo-hyun's agency sent the first certified letter, the deceased sent a text message to Kim Soo-hyun pleading 'Please save me,' and then the agency sent a second certified letter."
Regarding this, the agency said, "The bereaved family claimed at the press conference that the second certified letter sent by us on March 25, 2024, contained content stating that posting photos similar to those posted on March 24 on social media in the future, contacting any of the agency's actors, or if the 'Queen of Tears' suffers damages, full compensation would be required." They then released the original certified letter.
In response to the bereaved family's claim that "the second certified letter essentially pressured the deceased to repay the debt within a certain period," the agency stated, "Our letter only expressed a willingness to proactively discuss the method and timing of debt repayment with Kim Sae-ron and requested that she inform her legal representative of a feasible repayment schedule. There was no content urging immediate debt repayment."
They added, "The instruction to Kim Sae-ron not to contact the agency's actors was to prevent inquiries about this debt matter to other people within the agency. In fact, Kim Sae-ron freely communicated with the agency's actors."
Gold Medalist also denied the recent controversy involving YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, stating, "The manager claimed by Gase-yeon to have connections with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho is not an employee of Gold Medalist but a representative from another entertainment company," criticizing Gase-yeon for distorting the facts.
They further urged Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family to "stop spreading false information." They said, "Although it is claimed that we did not attend the deceased's funeral, we visited the funeral home on February 17 and 19, met the bereaved family in person, and left condolence wreaths and condolence money."
Kim Soo-hyun's side also stated that the person seen with Kim Sae-ron in photos released through Kim Sae-ron's fan social networking service (SNS) is not Kim Soo-hyun but someone else, urging, "We hope attempts to tarnish Kim Soo-hyun's reputation will cease."
The photo, which was also released through Gase-yeon, was reported to have been taken in front of the elevator of the apartment where Kim Sae-ron was living with her family at the time, showing a man presumed to be Kim Soo-hyun, which intensified the controversy.
Meanwhile, the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae-ron filed a defamation lawsuit against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho the day before and stated that they are considering legal action against Kim Soo-hyun and his agency depending on the situation. Since the 10th, the bereaved family has exposed the relationship between Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun on Gase-yeon. Kim Sae-ron wrote in a message sent to her family during her lifetime that "the relationship lasted from November 19, 2015, when I was 15 years old, until July 7, 2021."
Subsequently, Gold Medalist reversed its position on the 14th and acknowledged the relationship between the two. However, they stated, "Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after she became an adult. It is not true that he dated her while she was a minor." They explained, "Our agency repaid the entire remaining debt that Kim Sae-ron could not handle. The certified letter was sent to prove that Kim Sae-ron was in a state where debt recovery was impossible."
YouTuber Lee Jin-ho's lawsuit press conference held in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Photo by Yonhap News
The bereaved family demanded ▲ Kim Soo-hyun acknowledge and apologize for dating Kim Sae-ron since her minor years ▲ Gold Medalist apologize for media manipulation claiming they had not dated for the past three years ▲ acknowledge and apologize for Kim Sae-ron's contribution as a founding member of the company ▲ acknowledge and apologize for sending the 700 million won certified letter and urging repayment. The bereaved family also stated, "Gold Medalist pressured the deceased by sending the second certified letter," and announced, "We plan to file charges against Kim Soo-hyun's side as well."
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