Kim Soo Hyun’s agency files criminal case against Kim Sae Ron’s family for private photo leak: Report

On Thursday, actor Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medallist, announced that they have filed multiple criminal lawsuits against the operator of Garo Sero Research Institute (HoverLab) and late actor Kim Sae Ron’s family. In a fresh statement, the agency said that a criminal complaint has been lodged against Kim Sae Ron’s alleged aunt who distributed the private photo of Kim Soo Hyun to Kim Sae Eui of Garo Sero Research Institute who ultimately published it during a broadcast.

Kim Soo Hyun lodges complaints for photo leak days after denying

The charges include violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, specifically related to the distribution of footage recorded using cameras or other devices.

The leaked photo featured bu**-naked Kim Soo Hyun doing dishes at Kim Sae Ron's house.

Koreaboo quoted Gold Medallist saying in their latest statement: "GOLD MEDALIST, as the agency managing actor Kim Soo Hyun, has filed a criminal complaint against Kim Sae Eui, the operator of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as “Garo Sero”), who posted a photo of actor Kim Soo Hyun taken with his pants down during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel today. The criminal complaint is also pertaining to the bereaved family of the late actress Kim Sae Ron and an unidentified individual claiming to be Kim Sae Ron’s aunt, who allegedly provided the photo to Kim Sae Eui, leading him to post it.”

Kim Soo Hyun's agency on not filing lawsuits before

“As stated in our previous statement, GOLD MEDALIST is deeply saddened by the passing of the late actress Kim Sae Ron, who was once part of our agency, and we continue to mourn the loss. However, the photo of actor Kim Soo Hyun posted on Garo Sero’s channel was taken during a period when Kim Soo Hyun and an adult Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship. The photo contains an image of Kim Soo Hyun’s body that could cause him sexual humiliation, and it is a photo that should neither be made public nor has any reason to be disclosed. Posting such a photo on a YouTube channel is clearly a criminal act, and Garo Sero has been threatening Kim Soo Hyun by stating their intention to continue releasing similar photos. Therefore, GOLD MEDALIST is left with no choice but to take strong legal action against such behaviour,” the agency condemned the picture leak.

Gold Medallist to take legal actions

Gold Medallist further threatened legal action. They added, as per the portal, "The act of distributing or publicly displaying footage of another person’s body, which may provoke sexual desire or humiliation, without the subject’s consent, is a serious crime. We hope such actions will not be repeated.

"Furthermore, the false information spread by the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae Ron and Garo Sero through broadcasts and other channels continues to rapidly spread across the internet, fueling baseless rumours. Out of respect for the sudden passing of the late Kim Sae Ron, we had refrained from taking legal action against her family. However, the unauthorised distribution of a photo containing the body of actor Kim Soo Hyun is a grave matter that cannot be overlooked, and due to concerns about future repetitions of such conduct, we have inevitably proceeded with filing a complaint against Kim Sae Ron’s family as well. Should the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae Ron and Garo Sero persist in spreading false information, we will be left with no choice but to take comprehensive legal action to protect the honour of our agency and actor.”

Kim Soo Hyun's pants-down photo leak

Previously, the agency had dismissed the claims that Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun dated on multiple occasions.

While Kim Sae Ron's family alleged that Kim Soo Hyun dated the late actor when she was a minor and later distanced himself after her DUI case in 2022. They also claimed that Kim Soo Hyun and his agency further pushed Kim Sae Ron towards death after sending her a legal notice for repayment of her debt.

Only recently, Kim Soo Hyun's agency confirmed his past relationship with the late Kim Soo Ron. However, they maintained that they did not date when she was a minor.

Notably, the agency had denied that Kim Soo Hyun ever visited Kim Sae Ron's house when footage from their dating phase surfaced online. The agency also refused to accept that it was actually Soo Hyun since his face wasn't visible.

They also accused the late actors' family of spreading false information.

Kim Sae Ron

Korean actor Kim Sae Ron was found dead at her home in the Seongdong District of Seoul on February 16. It happened on the same date as Kim Soo Hyun’s birthday. She was 24.

Her death has been ruled out as suicide by officials.

She was best known for Bloodhounds.