Lee Jin-ho Responds to Kim Sae-ron’s Family’s Lawsuit: “Distorted Narrative, Will Take Legal Action”
On March 17, a video titled “My Position on the Lawsuit… I Will Reveal the Truth Until the End” was uploaded to the Lee Jin-ho YouTube channel.
In the video, Lee Jin-ho stated, “On March 16, Kim Sae-ron’s family announced that they had filed a lawsuit against me. I also want to share my position on this matter.”
While acknowledging the grief of Kim Sae-ron’s bereaved family, he emphasized, “However, there are too many discrepancies in the facts. I am making this video to correct these misunderstandings.”
Lee Jin-ho refuted claims that he denied Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun’s relationship. He stated, “I never said that their relationship was fabricated. If I had originally claimed it was staged, I wouldn’t have even reported on it. The legal representatives and the family are contradicting each other.”
Lee Jin-ho defended his coverage of Kim Sae-ron. He explained that his four videos about her were simply the result of additional investigative reporting. He also questioned why the family had not taken any action against other media outlets that had reported similar stories.
Regarding criticism that he attempted to contact Kim Sae-ron’s family during their mourning period, Lee Jin-ho explained, “I maintain my stance that I feel sorry for the family. However, I hope people do not use provocative wording like ‘checking the columbarium’s location.’ On February 21, I visited Kim Sae-ron’s resting place to pay my respects. There, a columbarium staff member informed me that the family had moved her remains elsewhere, which led me to contact her father. I simply wanted to say a final goodbye.”
He further protested against accusations that he had harassed the family during their mourning period, saying, “There is a distorted narrative suggesting that I called the family just to confirm the columbarium’s location. The claim that I contacted them ‘during their mourning’ in a malicious manner is completely false.”
Lee Jin-ho also expressed frustration that his rebuttals and clarifications had been largely ignored, stating, “Since this controversy started, I have continuously explained my position through my community posts and videos whenever suspicions and criticisms arose. However, my counterarguments were not properly conveyed. If only one-sided claims from channels like Garo Sero Research Institute continue to dominate the narrative, I will have no choice but to take legal action as well.”
He concluded, “It’s not that I lack evidence and am choosing not to disclose it. I simply do not want to incite ridicule and hatred like Garo Sero Research Institute does. Also, out of respect for the deceased, I have remained silent despite the heavy criticism directed at me.”
Previously, Boo Ji-seok, the legal representative of Kim Sae-ron’s family from Boo Yoo Law Firm, made an announcement. He stated that they would officially file a defamation lawsuit against Lee Jin-ho on March 17.
Since 2022, Lee Jin-ho has been uploading videos about Kim Sae-ron, which the family claims contain false information. They particularly argue that his claim about Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun’s relationship being a “fabrication” is entirely false. They state that this allegation is a key reason for the lawsuit.