YouTuber Sued by Late Kim Sae-ron's Family Faces Backlash Over Unexpected Allegations

YouTuber Lee Jinho, Sued by Late Kim Saeron's Family
"Apologized to the Deceased" but Reveals Private Recording
"Shifting the Issue," "Insulting the Deceased"... Netizens Outraged

On March 17, Bu Ji-seok, lead attorney at the law firm Buyu representing the family of Kim Sae-ron, held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to file a complaint against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho. From left, Kwon Young-chan, director of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association, Attorney Bu, and Kim Se-ui, head of the Garosero Research Institute. Photo by Yonhap News.

Last month, a YouTuber who was sued by the bereaved family for defaming the late Kim Sae-ron suddenly exposed a recording containing Kim Sae-ron's private life, sparking controversy over "insulting the deceased" and "secondary harm."

On the 19th, YouTuber Lee Jin-ho posted a video titled "Recording from Life" on his YouTube channel. The video claims to contain a phone conversation between Kim Sae-ron and the manager of her new agency, which she joined after leaving Gold Medalist.

After the recording was released, netizens criticized, saying, "What does this recording have to do with the current situation?" "Trying to frame Kim Sae-ron negatively," "Stop diverting the issue," "Poor Kim Sae-ron who cannot rest even after death," "Why post something like this? It's just an attempt to sway public opinion," "Even if this is true, it doesn't erase the current allegations," "You said you were sorry to the deceased just a few days ago," and "This is a clear insult to the deceased." As of 9 a.m. on the 20th, the video comments surpassed 14,000.

Earlier, on the 17th, Kim Sae-ron's family filed a defamation complaint against Lee Jin-ho with the police. Attorney Bu Ji-seok, representing Kim Sae-ron's family, submitted the complaint to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency that afternoon. The charge is defamation by spreading false information. Lee Jin-ho had uploaded several videos about Kim Sae-ron on YouTube from after her 2022 drunk driving accident until her death in February this year. The bereaved family claims that among these videos, the content alleging that Kim Sae-ron staged a "fabrication" by posting photos implying a romantic relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun on social media, despite not dating him, is false.

Attorney Bu stated, "Lee Jin-ho not only denies the relationship between the two but also spread false information portraying the deceased as a strange woman, causing severe mental distress," and added, "We plan to file additional complaints regarding other videos in the future." He also emphasized, "Lee Jin-ho has been deleting past videos since the deceased's death, which constitutes clear evidence destruction, and we urge for a search and seizure and arrest investigation." Furthermore, he said, "The bereaved family had no choice but to reveal the relationship between the two to prove these falsehoods and had to disclose past photos for that purpose," and mentioned that they are also considering legal action against Kim Soo-hyun's side in the future.