Kim Soo-hyun dating Kim Sae-ron controversy: Why South Korea's highest-paid actor is facing boycott calls

Kim Soo-hyun is currently at the centre of an online furore, after details about his alleged relationship with Kim Sae-ron, have resurfaced online. According to much speculation online, including Korean entertainment portals, the actor's upcoming show Knock-off could be at risk, including his endorsement deals as fans online have demanded a boycott.

Meanwhile, his agency has denied the allegations. On March 10, the YouTube channel HoverLab Inc. uploaded a video claiming that Kim Sae-ron had been in a romantic relationship with Kim Soo Hyun for six years, beginning when she was 15 years old. The recent allegations also mention that she had worked at Soo-hyun's company in rookie casting and visual directing, and was exploited without pay. Moreover, the accusations noted that Soo-hyun had helped Sae-ron with money during her DUI incident.

Photos of the stars together have been flooding social media, with fans bringing out details of their relationship, and expressing their anger at Soo-hyun.

Furthermore, the channel asserted that their claims were verified by Kim Sae-ron’s parents and featured a phone interview with a family member of Kim Sae Ron who participated directly without voice modulation.

Later the same day, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, GOLDMEDALIST, issued a statement: “The claims made by ‘HoverLab Inc.’ in their YouTube broadcast regarding actor Kim Soo Hyun are clearly false.”

Below is the agency’s full statement:

Hello, this is GOLDMEDALIST.

We would like to provide an official statement regarding the recent claims made by YouTube channel HoverLab Inc. concerning our actor Kim Soo Hyun.

The claims made by HoverLab Inc. in their YouTube broadcast about Kim Soo Hyun are clearly false and baseless.

In their broadcast, HoverLab Inc. alleged that our company and Kim Soo Hyun colluded with YouTuber Lee Jin Ho to harass the late actress Kim Sae Ron. They also claimed that Kim Soo Hyun and the late Kim Sae Ron were in a romantic relationship starting when she was 15 years old, that our company acted improperly in handling the aftermath of Kim Sae Ron’s DUI incident, and that a manager from our company has a close relationship with YouTuber Lee Jin Ho. These malicious claims directed at our company and actor Kim Soo Hyun are entirely false and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. We are currently reviewing the strongest possible legal actions against HoverLab Inc. for spreading these falsehoods.

Our company is deeply saddened by the passing of the late Kim Sae Ron, who was once part of our agency, and we mourn her loss. However, the dissemination of such false information by HoverLab Inc. mirrors the very behaviour of so-called “cyber wreckers” that caused the late actress so much pain during her lifetime. Their actions, driven solely by self-interest, not only damage our company but also tarnish the honor of the deceased, and thus we will respond to this matter with the utmost seriousness.

We earnestly request that these baseless falsehoods not be further spread, amplified, or reproduced in any way.