According to TV Report’s reporter Gu Hana, despite Kim Soo-hyun denying allegations of underage dating with the late Kim Sae-ron by providing 11 photos and claiming the KakaoTalk messages were manipulated, the public remains unconvinced and has taken it upon themselves to verify the facts.
Recently, KakaoTalk messages released by Kim Sae-ron’s family have attracted attention online. Kim Soo-hyun argues that some parts were manipulated and the conversations included were from when they were not in a romantic relationship.
On April 13, 2018, Kim Sae-ron sent Kim Soo-hyun a selfie and asked, “Where are you and what are you doing?” She also expressed her disappointment when Kim Soo-hyun, who was on military leave at the time, broke their promise and lost contact, saying, “I’m not feeling very good.”
The public found that the nail art in the photo Kim Sae-ron posted on the same day on her personal account matched. Additionally, they confirmed that the outfit in the selfie was the same as the one she wore at an event for a character brand on that day. Skepticism has been raised about Kim Soo-hyun’s denial, noting that the conversation had a romantic tone.
Currently, Kim Soo-hyun continues to deny any romantic involvement with Kim Sae-ron during their underage years.
At a press conference held on March 31 at the Stanford Hotel in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Kim Soo-hyun stated, “I never dated the deceased when we were underage. They want me to acknowledge something that isn’t true,” expressing his frustration.
He added, “The KakaoTalk messages released by the family are fake evidence. I have requested scientific verification from a capable institute,” and urged “the family to submit all evidence they have presented to the investigative authorities for judgment.”
It has been confirmed that the organization Kim Soo-hyun entrusted for the KakaoTalk verification is a private company with no legal standing.
Kim Soo-hyun has announced plans to file a lawsuit seeking compensation of approximately 12 billion KRW against Kim Sae-ron’s family, an unidentified person claiming to be her aunt, and some channels.