One year after the late actress Kim Sae-ron posted a controversial photo of herself with Kim Soo-hyun, her aunt released a scathing expose, accusing Kim Soo-hyun of being responsible for the actress’s death and making even more shocking claims.
According to Kim Sae-ron’s aunt, who is reportedly a close friend of the family, Kim Soo-hyun allegedly began a six-year relationship with Kim Sae-ron when he was 27 years old, and she was just 15.
Since the expose came to light, public sentiment has shifted significantly. When Kim Sae-ron initially posted the selfie with Kim Soo-hyun in 2024, she faced intense backlash. Netizens criticized her for distorting the truth and accused her of trying to damage Kim Soo-hyun’s career, especially since the photo was revealed during the airing of his hit K-Drama “Queen of Tears.” At the time, many fiercely defended Kim Soo-hyun against the allegations.
During this period, several insiders spoke out about the controversy. Following Gold Medalist’s first official statement regarding the selfie, OSEN released an exclusive report in which an insider, who was acquainted with both Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron, denied any romantic involvement between the two stars. “The photo that was uploaded and then deleted early morning on March 24 is not current and not recent. Also, they are not dating. They’re not in a romantic relationship.”
Despite this statement, Kim Sae-ron’s aunt maintained that the two had allegedly dated from 2015 to 2021.
Then, on March 25, 2025, one of Kim Sae-ron’s acquaintances spoke to “Star News,” revealing that the actress had been struggling and that there was a deeper, more complicated story behind the situation—one that Kim Sae-ron had been unable to share publicly. “Kim Sae-ron is going through a hard time. It seems there is a complicated story (in regard to the photo) that she can’t talk about. She’s mulling over what to reveal in her statement.”
The following day, YouTube reporter Lee Jin-ho shared insights from another insider who had spoken to him. This acquaintance described Kim Sae-ron as being “unstable and impulsive” at the time she uploaded the photo and expressed confusion over her motives. They speculated that she may have posted the picture to highlight her past fame.
“Kim Sae-ron uploaded the photo while being unstable and impulsive. She currently acknowledges that her actions were wrong, and her acquaintance who revealed this to me also said they couldn’t understand why the actress uploaded the photo.”
He added, “According to her acquaintances, they felt Kim Sae-ron may have uploaded the photo to flex her popularity in the past.”
Adding his own perspective on the matter, Lee Jin-ho noted that Kim Sae-ron had already been “canceled” due to her past actions, while Kim Soo-hyun, who was formerly under the same agency as her, was experiencing immense career success.
He suggested that Kim Sae-ron might have posted the photo as a way to “show off” in light of these circumstances. “Kim Sae-ron is currently canceled due to her own actions. Kim Soo-hyun, on the other hand, who was in the same agency as her, is currently reaching new career heights. Because of this, I feel Kim Sae-ron uploaded the photos to show off.”
As the controversy continues to unfold, public opinion remains divided, with some questioning the motives behind the expose and others wondering if more revelations are yet to come.
Sources: Kbizoom