Netizens Debate Over The Witch-Hunt In Kim Soo-hyun Controversy, “Stay Neutral If This Were About Your Child”
On March 15th, a post titled “I wish people would stop witch-hunting celebrities” appeared in a cafe online community and later spread to other platforms.
The post’s author A said, “It’s tragic that Kim Sae-ron passed away, but why is the current atmosphere making it seem like she died because of Kim Soo-hyun?”. A continued, “The key issue should be whether they dated when she was a minor, yet the atmosphere feels like Kim Soo-hyun is a criminal, while Kim Sae-ron was a pitiful and helpless victim. I’m staying neutral on this.”
A further argued, “Regardless of whether she was taken advantage of or not, Kim Sae-ron caused a stir with her drunk driving accident, and from what I understand, she took her own life as she couldn’t endure the backlash following the accident. Now, people are tearing into someone else as if they’re hunting a new target. If they really dated when she was a minor, then yes, he should take responsibility for that.”
A also criticized the bereaved family’s actions, stating, “Why do they have so much to demand? Even when she was alive, she reportedly struggled and had a hard time playing the role of the family breadwinner. Anyway, I just wish the celebrity witch hunts would stop, no matter who the target is.”
In response to A’s stance, a netizen questioned, “Would you stay neutral if this were about your own child?”. A replied, “It depends on the situation. Was she truly wronged and unjustly killed? From what I understand, she committed drunk driving, ended up in debt for 700 million KRW, and faced hardships in her acting career. The series of events following that, including the spread of malicious comments, led to what happened. But now, the focus has shifted to whether they dated when she was a minor and whether Kim Sae-ron was pressured to repay 700 million won. The ongoing controversy even makes me feel like the bereaved family is trying to avoid repayment of their daughter’s debts.”
Other netizens also showed mixed reactions, saying “You claim to be neutral, but you’re actually blaming the bereaved family. How can you call this ‘neutral’?”, “Why are you blaming the victim? The family is speaking out to ensure that the deceased’s name isn’t tarnished and that she isn’t unfairly remembered by people”, “We should wait until all the facts are fully verified”, etc.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency Gold Medalist released an official statement on the 14th clarifying, “Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after Kim Sae-ron became an adult. The claims that Kim Soo-hyun dated her when she was a minor are false.” However, Garosero Research Institute countered this claim, mentioning Kim Sae-ron’s diary as evidence and adding that “She wrote the exact dates of their dates in her diary.”
