Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s representatives have clarified that he and the late Kim Sae-ron were not romantically involved during his military service, suggesting evidence from a diary to support this claim.
On the 30th, attorney Ko Sang-rok from the Law Firm Pil, who is handling Kim Soo-hyun’s criminal case, stated, “Recently, I was appointed as Kim Soo-hyun’s representative and reviewed all the materials. I saw a diary that Kim Soo-hyun wrote during his military service, which started as a record of his daily life and later included entries about his girlfriend. There are also letter-style notes he brought with him on leave to share with his girlfriend.”
Attorney Ko explained, “If you compare the letters Kim Soo-hyun wrote to his girlfriend at the time, they include expressions like ‘I love you,’ which contrast with the content sent to Kim Sae-ron, which consisted of impressions of the day, the weather, and his life in the military.” Ko emphasized, “Those records, juxtaposed with postcards sent two years later during their actual relationship, were distorted to appear as if they were romantic letters at the time, when in fact, no such relationship existed.”
Regarding the letters with his then-girlfriend, Ko noted that “apart from the need to keep their relationship secret, the correspondence was typical of any ordinary romantic exchange.”
The diary entries, beginning with his unit assignment on January 2, 2018, eventually transformed into letters sharing his daily life and feelings with his girlfriend, spanning about 150 letters in total up to spring 2019.
The released content from the letters shows Kim Soo-hyun expressing affection, writing, “I really want to write your name. I wish I could because I’m so eager. I love you. Later, I’ll have to say that you endured my military service.” This was dated April 6, 2018.
Attorney Ko mentioned, “The actor wrote to acquaintances outside the military whenever he could, sharing his experiences and reaffirming his commitment as an actor after discharge, with a single public letter sent to the late Kim Sae-ron as part of that routine.”
On June 9, 2018, Kim Soo-hyun wrote to his girlfriend, “Thanks to you, it’s a Saturday where my heart is beating with excitement. Oh, I long to see, hear, and hug you. I love you, as always today.”
Attorney Ko further shared, “The trip Kim envisioned post-discharge wasn’t a solo journey like the one mentioned in the letter to Kim Sae-ron, but a trip with his girlfriend.”
In a letter dated July 30, 2018, Kim wrote to his girlfriend, “Next year around this time, I’ll definitely travel with her, doing new things I’ve never done before, everything with her.” On August 3, 2018, he wrote, “I think I’m treating her better than before enlisting. I’m grateful to feel this longing and desire to make her happy.”
Ko stated, “The writings illustrate Kim’s desire for a future with his girlfriend, showing their continuous and sincere relationship, contrasting with the letter sent to Kim Sae-ron.”
Furthermore, Ko noted that, “The photograph that the late Kim Sae-ron posted and later deleted on social media was taken in February 2020, during her second year of university, and the photos of her with Kim Soo-hyun released by some were taken between December 2019 and the following spring, during her adult years.”
All publicly available objective material, according to Ko, consistently supports that the relationship between the actor and the late Kim Sae-ron began in the summer of 2019 and ended by the following year. The postcard sent by Kim on November 1, 2019, when Kim Sae-ron was already an adult, included expressions typical of newly formed romantic relationships like “I’ll pay more attention to you with care” and “Even if we argue, I’ll apologize and give in first.”