The Truth Behind the 6-Year Dating Rumor with Kim Soo-hyun: Kim Sae-ron’s Boyfriend Was an “Older Idol”
According to MoneyToday’s investigation on May 21, Kim Sae-ron was in a relationship with a well-known older idol, referred to as Mr. A, around 2018.
Kim Sae-ron and Mr. A briefly broke up in early 2019 but reportedly reconciled in early to mid-2022, during a time when Kim Sae-ron was facing difficulties due to a DUI incident. It is said that Mr. A lent her a significant amount of money during her financial struggles. Kim Sae-ron openly introduced Mr. A as her boyfriend to acquaintances and did not keep their relationship a secret. The two reportedly broke up in early 2023 but maintained contact until last year.
An entertainment industry source stated, “Even after their breakup, Kim Sae-ron and Mr. A continued to meet as friends.” They added, “Mentioning their relationship is only to clarify the timeline regarding the Kim Soo-hyun dating rumors, and we hope to avoid reckless speculation about Mr. A’s identity.”
The 6-Year Dating Claim and Conflicting Timeline
Kim Sae-ron’s side claimed through the Garosero Research Institute in March that she dated Kim Soo-hyun from late 2015, when she was in her third year of middle school, until July 2021. The claim was based on text messages allegedly sent by Kim Sae-ron to a close acquaintance.
However, there are inaccuracies in this claim. Kim Sae-ron was involved with Mr. A in 2019 and with singer WOODZ from 2021 to 2022. She is also known to have had other boyfriends in 2016 and 2018. Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun was in a relationship with an actress from an idol background from 2016 to 2019, not Kim Sae-ron. The text messages presented by Kim Sae-ron’s family as evidence, allegedly from Kim Soo-hyun in 2016, have not been verified for authenticity. The messages included phrases like, “When can I hold you and sleep?” and “I wouldn’t even notice if you kissed me,” but Kim Soo-hyun’s side clarified last month, “No such messages were ever sent. They were either from a third party or fabricated.”
Kim Soo-hyun’s side requested that the family provide the original data obtained through digital forensics, but they have not yet received a proper response.
The family also released several photos of Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun together, but all were confirmed to have been taken after 2019, when Kim Sae-ron was an adult. A video of “dakbokkeumtang” (spicy braised chicken) filmed at Kim Soo-hyun’s house in 2018 reportedly included other people present at the time.