On March 10, Lee Jin-ho addressed the issue on his YouTube channel “Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho”, stating, “I have read the interview with Kim Sae-ron’s family published by Ilgan Sports on March 10, 2025. Regardless of the circumstances, I sincerely bow my head in heavy-hearted reflection upon the fact that Kim Sae-ron’s grieving family has been repeatedly mentioned in the media after her passing. Once again, I extend my deepest condolences.”
Lee Jin-ho further asserted that Ilgan Sports had written the articles based solely on one-sided claims from a source since the day of Kim Sae-ron’s passing.
He specifically denied allegations that he had called Kim Sae-ron’s father three times, stating, “I never contacted the bereaved family during the mourning period.”
He continued, “I had initially wanted to pay my respects at her funeral out of moral obligation. However, since an interview had already been published, I worried that my presence might cause distress to the family. So, I waited until after the funeral before making contact. On February 19, after her burial, I called her father three times. Regardless of the circumstances, my intention was to offer a ‘moral apology’ for having covered content related to the deceased.”
Lee Jin-ho also revealed that on February 21, he personally visited Kim Sae-ron’s burial site in Paju. However, according to cemetery officials, her resting place had been relocated the day before, on February 20.
According to Lee Jin-ho, in their first phone call, Kim Sae-ron’s father said, “I don’t know who you are, and I’m too overwhelmed to respond.” In their second call, when Lee Jin-ho asked about the new burial site, Kim Sae-ron’s father refused to disclose the location.
Lee Jin-ho claimed that he made the third call after receiving a message asking, “Why did you contact her father? Is it proper to reach out during the mourning period?” He explained that he called again to clarify any misunderstandings, reiterating that his initial contact was not for reporting purposes.
Regarding claims that Kim Sae-ron had suffered due to his videos, he cautiously responded, “This is a delicate matter, as I never intended to cause distress to the deceased. In February 2024, I met with two of Kim Sae-ron’s managers and discussed ways to support her return to the entertainment industry. Given the severe public backlash against her, we agreed to carefully assess the situation before addressing it in any content. In fact, we remained in close communication throughout the production of my videos.”
He also pointed out, “Even when several media outlets covered Kim Sae-ron’s attempted theater comeback, her withdrawal from the project, her friendships with fellow celebrities and controversies surrounding her screen time in ‘Bloodhounds’, I chose not to report on those issues. While some media outlets published over 100 to 300 articles about Kim Sae-ron, my channel only released four videos about her in the past three years.”
In closing, Lee Jin-ho expressed his regret, “Regardless of my intentions, the fact that the deceased’s name has been brought up again because of me is something I deeply apologize for to the bereaved family. I also earnestly ask the media to handle matters related to the deceased with caution.”
Previously, Ilgan Sports published an interview with Kim Sae-ron’s father, in which he stated, “Because of YouTuber Lee Jin-ho and other cyber wreckers, as well as the media that recklessly spread their content, Sae-ron suffered immensely. Our family went through hell together, and even now, our suffering has not ended.”
Following Kim Sae-ron’s passing, Lee Jin-ho removed all videos related to her from his channel.
Sources: Kbizoom