Kim Soo-hyun's agency denies Sulli’s Real scenes allegations as controversy intensifies: ‘You cannot force an actor'

On March 28, the older brother of the late actress Sulli issued a statement seeking clarification regarding the intimate scenes in the 2017 film Real. His concerns were directed at Kim Soo-hyun and the film’s director, Lee Sa Rang (legal name Lee Ro Be), who is also the co-founder of Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, GOLDMEDALIST.

According to Sulli’s brother, discussions at her funeral suggested that her scenes with Soo-hyun had been different in the original script. He also claimed to have heard that, despite the presence of a body double on set, Sulli was pressured into performing the scene herself. Initial explanations had suggested that the body double was unavailable due to illness, but multiple accounts at the funeral contradicted this, stating that the stand-in had been present at the time of filming.

In response, Goldmedalist clarified that the role of Song Yoo Hwa explicitly required such a scene, and this condition was made clear before casting. Sulli and her agency were fully informed, and her contract included a specific clause addressing these details. The production team took steps to ensure she was well-prepared, and she participated with prior understanding of the scene’s requirements.

A part of the statement read, “Nevertheless, because the production team knew that a bedroom scene requires great courage for actors, there were plenty of preparations and procedures before filming, and the late actress Choi Jin Ri was well-acquainted with the bedroom scene when she participated in filming. Regarding the issues that her older brother raised:

•  Regarding the filming of the bedroom scene: the late actress Choi Jin Ri participated in filming while well-acquainted with the scene in question.

•  Regarding the body double: there was a “stand-in actor” who did not act, but stood in for the actor during preparations for filming, not a body double.”

The statement further read, “We are attaching a confirmation of these facts by assistant director Kim Joong Ok and script supervisor Lee Joon Hyun, who oversaw filming for all of the scenes in the movie, including the bedroom scene. Also, we are informing you that all work on the screenplay, storyboard, and filming was the domain of the production team and therefore had nothing to do with Kim Soo Hyun, who appeared in the film as an actor.

In accordance with the testimony of the film’s main staff, the late actress Choi Jin Ri and her agency at the time were sufficiently familiar with the role of Song Yoo Hwa. In any production, it is impossible to persuade and force an actor into doing a bedroom scene.”

The agency also refuted claims that a body double was meant to perform the scene, explaining that only a stand-in was present to assist with technical preparations. Additionally, they stated that Soo-hyun, as an actor, had no involvement in creative decisions regarding the film’s script or filming process.

They denied contacting Sulli’s mother and expressed concern over unverified claims resurfacing years later, urging an end to speculation that could harm those involved in the film’s production. They also asked the public to avoid spreading misinformation regarding Kim Soo Hyun’s current situation.

The statement ended, with “Finally, it is untrue that we contacted the mother of the late actress Choi Jin Ri. We don’t even know her contact information. We understand that [her brother] may have been curious about the veracity of the things he heard at the funeral. However, it is difficult for us to accept bringing up matters from approximately six years ago now and posting things that never happened on social media as if he experienced them. We hope that you will stop the groundless speculation that is hurting the people who poured lots of love and passion into the film “Real” while working on it.”

The controversy surrounding Kim Soo-hyun began on March 13 when a YouTube channel revealed his past relationship with Kim Sae-ron, who passed away in February this year. This sparked renewed scrutiny, bringing up past incidents, particularly those involving the late Sulli, who passed away in 2019. Sulli faced severe online harassment for her scenes in the film Real, with allegations that Soo-hyun and his agency failed to support or protect her from the backlash.

After weeks of speculation, and innumerable allegations, Soo-hyun decided to address the row in a press conference, denying that he was not in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, and had not pressured her when she was in debt.