Kim Soo Hyun to face criminal charges for alleged relationship with underage Kim Sae Ron? Legal expert says THIS

Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun has been embroiled in a massive controversy over his alleged relationship with Kim Sae Ron. A person, claiming to be the late actress' family has been sharing evidence of the relationship through the YouTube channel HoverLab. This has prompted his fans to worry if he will face any legal action.

One of the highest-paid Korean actors, Soo Hyun has been accused of having a relationship with Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor. Hallyu fans have been questioning whether this could lead to criminal charges for a sexual offence involving a minor against the Queen of Tears megastar.

HoverLab's claims, Soo Hyun's denial

On Monday, via a video on the YouTube channel HoverLab Inc, Kim Sae-ron's aunt alleged that actor Kim Soo Hyun was in a relationship with Kim Sae Ron which began when she was only 15.

The actor's agency Gold Medalist initially denied the claims but was forced to accept it when photos of the both got circulated online. However, it maintained that the actors were both adults when the relationship transpired.

Legal expert sheds light

Amid the growing scandal, fans have been worried about the possibility of the It’s Okay Not to Be Okay actor facing sexual offences charges.

Shedding light on the possibility, KST, an attorney appearing on YTN’s ‘News Square 2 PM’ explained the laws.

“The laws regarding sexual offences against minors were revised in May of 2020. According to the revisions, if an adult engages in physical intimacy or sexual relations with a minor under the age of 16, regardless of whether there was consent, it may be deemed statutory rape or molestation,” the lawyer said, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.

According to AllKpop, the lawyer further said, “But before the 2020 revision, the law only applied to minors under the age of 13. This means that in 2015, when Kim Sae Ron was 15 years old, the previous law was still in effect. Because the previous laws only applied to minors under the age of 13, the fact that they were simply in a relationship at the time would not be sufficient grounds for legal punishment.”

Therefore, it seems ‘difficult’ for anyone to press charges against the actor.

“Because she was 15 at the time, in order to legally punish Kim Soo Hyun for a sexual offence involving a minor, there must be proof of sexual contact or relations. Given what information has been revealed so far, it seems difficult to press criminal charges against him for a sexual offence involving a minor,” the lawyer was quoted as saying by the media outlets cited above.