Kim Soo-hyun Denies Dating Minor Kim Sae-ron → Garo Sero Institute Alleges Relationship with More Photos & Metadata
On March 31, Garo Sero Institute claimed during a live broadcast, “Kim Sae-ron had five phones and four laptops. She didn’t throw away any of her old devices. She also saved all the screenshots herself—not just KakaoTalk data, but key moments as well. Yesterday, even the bereaved family told us to go ahead and air everything. But for now, we’re only revealing this much.”
Video Metadata Sparks Controversy Over Alleged Underage Relationship
A newly revealed video showed Kim Soo-hyun eating dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken) in what appeared to be a home setting. Kim Sae-ron, allegedly filming the scene, can be heard asking sweetly, “How is it? Eat up! Is it good?” A bottle resembling soju also appeared in the frame.
The metadata of the video disclosed by Garo Sero Institute reportedly showed a modified date of June 20, 2018, at 11:20 PM. Another video showed Kim Soo-hyun singing the OST from “Moon Embracing the Sun,” and its metadata was dated June 21, 2018, at 1:00 AM.
Garo Sero Institute claimed, “This video was recorded when Kim Sae-ron was in 11th grade. Didn’t Kim Soo-hyun say he never met or dated her as a minor? But he’s shown eating spicy chicken and drinking soju with her late at night during his military leave. Then later, at 1 AM, he’s singing for her.”
Photo Metadata Further Fuels Allegations
Additionally, Garo Sero Institute previously released KakaoTalk messages from 2016, allegedly exchanged between Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun.
On March 31, after Kim Soo-hyun’s press conference, Garo Sero, again, released a flood of photo evidence during a live broadcast on the same day, directly contradicting Kim Soo-hyun’s claims. Notably, among the photos was one that internet sleuths used to pinpoint the timeline based on Kim Sae-ron’s broadcast outfit at the time.
They asserted that a photo Kim Soo-hyun sent, showing Kim Sae-ron backstage at Show! Music Core, posted with the message “Seriously, isn’t this just too cute?,” had metadata dated December 12, 2015. The outfit, hair, and makeup in the photo exactly match her appearance on the December 12, 2015, episode of “Show! Music Core.”
“He already had the photo. Seeing this metadata is even more shocking, it’s from 2015, not 2016. This proves they were dating since she was in the 8th grade. We have countless photos and videos. Kim Soo-hyun will be punished. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll keep fighting until the day you’re in prison,” Garo Sero stated.
Earlier that same day, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference at Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, alongside attorney Kim Jong-bok from law firm LKB & Partners.
Kim Soo-hyun denied dating Kim Sae-ron as a minor and claimed the evidence presented by Garo Sero Institute was fabricated, citing expert analysis. His legal team filed a defamation suit and a 12 billion won damages claim against Garo Sero Institute and Kim Sae-ron’s family.