“12 Billion KRW → 11 Billion KRW” Kim Soo-hyun’s Damage Lawsuit Against Kim Sae-ron’s Family Assigned to Court
Actor Kim Soo-hyun has taken legal action against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron, accusing them of presenting fabricated evidence and submitting criminal and civil lawsuits totaling 12 billion KRW (approx. 8.2 million USD) against Late Kim Sae-ron’s family and Garo Sero Research Institute.
On March 31, Kim Soo-hyun and his legal representative, Attorney Kim Jong-bok from LKB&Partners, held a press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Over 200 reporters from Korea and abroad were present, marking Kim’s first public appearance since the controversy over his private life erupted.
About the Fabricated Evidence
Addressing the core issue, Kim stated, “There are too many factual errors for these to be genuine messages from the deceased. A photo claimed to be from 2016 was actually taken in 2019. The deceased would never have mistaken our age difference or incorrectly stated the name and contract period of the agency she was with for four years.”
He continued, “The deceased only worked as a contracted actor at the agency. She was never involved in casting newcomers or visual directing.”
Kim also argued that the presented KakaoTalk conversations involved different individuals, “A YouTube channel is using 2016 messages to falsely label me as a pedophile and accuse me of grooming a minor. However, forensic analysis proves the 2016 and 2018 chat partners are different people. I submitted these conversations to a verification agency, which confirmed the 2016 and 2018 counterparts were not the same person.”
Kim Soo-hyun Responds to Alleged Evidence
He emotionally addressed the ongoing allegations, saying, “The most painful aspect since the family’s revelations began is how new ‘evidence’, edited recordings, manipulated photos, and fabricated chat images, emerges whenever we respond. They’re exploiting our past relationship to perpetuate lies. If their evidence is genuine, I demand official investigative verification.”
Tearing up, Kim added, “I fear what other distortions they’ll use to paint me as a murderer. I don’t know what ‘proof’ they’ll produce after this conference. But falsehoods remain falsehoods. I won’t beg for trust—I will prove the truth.”
12 Billion KRW Lawsuit
Attorney Kim Jong-bok concluded the conference by confirming legal action, “Today, we filed criminal complaints for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act against Kim Sae-ron’s family and the self-proclaimed aunt. Additionally, civil lawsuits totaling 12 billion KRW (approx. 8.2 million USD) have been submitted to the Seoul Central District Court to clarify the facts.”
He further explained that the reason he could not take questions was because he had become the subject of an investigation and was now in a situation requiring legal judgment.
The legal battle now moves to court, as Kim Soo-hyun seeks to clear his name amid growing public scrutiny and emotional fallout.
Kim Soo-hyun’s Damage Lawsuit Against Kim Sae-ron’s Family Assigned to Court
On April 1, the Seoul Central District Court assigned the damage lawsuit filed by Kim Soo-hyun’s side to the Civil Agreement Division 14 (Presiding Judge: Jeong Ha-jeong). The date for the first hearing has not yet been set.
Although it was initially reported that the lawsuit would seek damages of around 12 billion won, the actual claim filed with the court has been confirmed to be 11 billion won.