Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s agency has changed its stance on his relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron. Previously, the agency denied any romantic involvement between the two, but they have now acknowledged that they were in a relationship, emphasizing that they started dating only after Kim Sae-ron became an adult.
The issue is that Kim Soo-hyun’s side was not truthful about the two’s relationship from the start, and this past denial has become the biggest reason for the public’s loss of trust.
In particular, in March of last year, Kim Sae-ron posted and then deleted a photo of herself with Kim Soo-hyun on her social media account. At the time, his agency, Gold Medalist, stated, “The photos circulating online appear to have been taken when they were under the same agency. We have no knowledge of Kim Sae-ron’s intentions behind this action.”
After the agency distanced itself by saying they were unaware of her intent, Kim Sae-ron faced backlash, with accusations that she had fabricated a dating rumor about herself and Kim Soo-hyun.
However, the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute recently stirred controversy by releasing affectionate photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron, as well as letters Kim Soo-hyun allegedly sent to the late actress during his military service. Gaseyeon claimed that the two had been in a relationship for six years, starting when Kim Sae-ron was 15 years old. The revelation sparked outrage, as dating a minor 12 years younger raised allegations of grooming.
Even after the photos were made public, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency continued to deny any romantic involvement. However, on March 14, they released an official statement that 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.
This statement directly contradicts their previous stance. The agency even provided metadata proving the timeframe of the photos in an attempt to clarify that their relationship did not begin when she was a minor, but this explanation has failed to convince the public.
Had the agency been honest from the start when the photos first surfaced last year, public trust might not have eroded to this extent, and Kim Sae-ron might have been spared the ridicule of creating a “self-made dating rumor.” However, due to past denials, the public is now scrutinizing every line of the agency’s statement with skepticism. Some are even questioning whether the timeline stating that they started dating in the summer of 2019 after Kim Sae-ron turned 19 was carefully crafted to avoid accusations of grooming.
Sources: Kbizoom