Kim Sae Ron’s family files lawsuit vs. YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, calls for apology from Kim Soo Hyun

Trigger warning: This article contains mention of suicide.

The family of the late Kim Sae Ron has filed a defamation lawsuit against YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, accusing him for disseminating false information about the actress that put her in a negative light and which they believe played a part in her death.

According to a report by Soompi, a press conference was held at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on March 17 which was attended by Bu Ji Seok, the legal representative of Kim Sae Ron's family; Kwon Young Chan, the director of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association; and Kim Se Eui, the head of HoverLab Inc.

“This press conference marks the beginning of the first lawsuit, and we will continue to pursue legal action from this point forward,” Kim Se Eui said during the press conference.

He also reiterated the family’s demand for Kim Soo Hyun to release a genuine public apology.

In their statement, Kim Sae Ron's family cited Article 250, Paragraph 1 of the South Korean Criminal Act, which specifies that “a person who commits murder shall be punished by death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for a term of at least five years.”

“In our hearts, we wish to file charges under the crime of murder. However, as defamation does not fall under the methods of murder according to legal precedents, we regretfully hope that the fact that the deceased’s death is causally linked to YouTuber Lee Jin Ho’s dissemination of false information will be fully reflected in the sentencing, leading to the strictest possible punishment,” the family said.

Looking back on the events that transpired, the family said that Kim Sae Ron posted the old photo of her with Kim Soo Hyun in March 2024 “because she had received a certification of contents demanding repayment of debts" from the actor’s agency, Gold Medalist.

“Hoping that Kim Soo Hyun might not be involved in this matter, she attempted to contact him, but when there was no response, she briefly uploaded the photo, thinking it might prompt him to reach out,” the statement read.

Per the family, Lee Jin Ho, for unknown reasons, denied the past romantic relationship between Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun and also disseminated falsehoods about her that put her "in a negative light, making her appear as an unusual or problematic person."

"This caused the deceased to suffer extreme mental anguish, ultimately driving her to make an irreversible decision," the family said.

The family also asked for understanding for revealing Kim Sae Ron’s past relationship with Kim Soo Hyun, as this was done to "prove the falsehoods" disseminated by Lee Jin Ho.

They added that Lee Jin Ho has been deleting past videos following Kim Sae Ron's death in February.

"This is a clear act of evidence destruction, and we urge the authorities to conduct a search and seizure as well as an arrest investigation,” the family said.

Meanwhile, in regard to Kim Soo Hyun, the family expressed their hope for the actor to acknowledge his past relationship with Kim Sae Ron "to disprove the false claims" made by Lee Jin Ho.

"However, Kim Soo Hyun’s repeated false statements have caused further distress to the bereaved family. We sincerely hope that even now, he will offer a heartfelt apology."

Kim Sae Ron's family explained that the late actress sent a text message to Kim Soo Hyun asking for help after Gold Medalist sent her the first certification of contents, but he "did not respond even once."

Instead, through Gold Medalist, Kim Soo Hyun sent a second certification of contents to Kim Sae Ron, which noted that the certification of contents was delivered "due to acts of embezzlement and other issues." According to the family, this is contrary to the recent statements released by Kim Soo Hyun's camp.

"[In] essence, it demanded that the deceased repay her debts within a given period. Additionally, it included instructions not to contact Kim Soo Hyun or other actors from his agency directly and threatened legal action regarding the photo she uploaded," the family said.

"Even after the second certification of contents, there was not a single instance of contact from Kim Soo Hyun nor was there any communication with other actors from his agency."

Kim Sae Ron's family expressed that it's hard for them to imagine the "mental anguish" that Kim Sae Ron experienced after receiving the said certification of contents.

“We cannot understand why Kim Soo Hyun’s side is claiming to await contact from the bereaved family by publicly releasing statements at this point."

The family also said that they are now "reviewing potential legal actions against Kim Soo Hyun and his representatives."

Kim Soo Hyun is currently the subject of controversy after a recent broadcast by YouTube channel HoverLab Inc. claimed that the actor and his agency, Gold Medalist, colluded with Lee Jin Ho to harass Kim Sae Ron, allegations that Gold Medalist denied.

Gold Medalist had earlier called the claims of HoverLab Inc. "malicious" and "entirely false." The agency also said it is reviewing the "strong possible legal actions" against HoverLab Inc. for the disinformation.

On March 14, Gold Medalist also released an official statement acknowledging that Kim Soo Hyun and the late actress Kim Sae Ron were indeed in a relationship "from the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae Ron became a legal adult, until the fall of 2020" and not when she was a minor.

The agency likewise refuted HoverLab's allegations that they pressured Kim Soo Hyun to pay off Kim Sae Ron's debts related to her drunk driving accident, and that the actor ignored her when she asked for his help, which led to her death.

Kim Sae Ron was formerly managed by Gold Medalist. She parted ways with the company months after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

She died by suicide in February at the age of 24.

— Jade Veronique Yap/CDC, GMA Integrated News