TIMELINE: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Sae-ron’s relationship scandal
Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron’s tumultuous relationship has been recently causing a stir. Images: GoldMedalist, Prada, Dispatch, and Garosero Research Institute
The tumultuous relationship between Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron has been making headlines for weeks, sparking talks about the actor’s alleged grooming of the latter and other related concerns. It has since spiraled into a full-blown scandal with details of their romance slowly being revealed to the public.
Soo-hyun and Sae-ron were alleged to be dating when the latter was only 15 while the actor was 27, as stated by a woman claiming to be the actress’ aunt in an interview with Garosero Research Institute (owner of Hoverlab) earlier this month. While the actor’s agency GoldMedalist confirmed they were indeed in a relationship, it clarified that their romance started when the actress was already a legal adult.
As their past romance continues to cause a stir, here is a timeline of events surrounding the controversy.
2015 or 2016: Soo-hyun and Sae-ron started dating — alleged aunt
Based on the claims of Sae-ron’s alleged aunt, the ex-couple got together sometime in 2015 or 2016. Soo-hyun has been rising as one of South Korea’s biggest stars after starring in “My Love from the Star,” “Moon Embracing the Sun” and “Dream High.”
Meanwhile, Sae-ron has already gained prominence as a child actress after starring in the critically acclaimed films “A Brand New Life” and “The Man from Nowhere.” She was also announced as one of the hosts of the music show “Show! Music Core” with Astro’s Cha Eun-woo, Lee Soo-min and Kim Min-jae.
Kim Soo-hyun (left) and Kim Sae-ron. Images: Instagram/@tvn_drama, Instagram/@ron_sae
2019: Soo-hyun and Sae-ron got together — GoldMedalist
GoldMedalist denied the claims of Sae-ron’s alleged aunt, stating the exes started dating in the “summer of 2019.”
2020: Soo-hyun and Sae-ron part ways — GoldMedalist
The entertainment company stated that the actors broke up in the fall of 2020.
“Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019, after [the actress] became a legal adult, until the fall of 2020. It is not true that [he] dated [her] when she was a minor,” GoldMedalist said in a statement on March 14.
2021 or 2022: Soo-hyun and Sae-ron break up — alleged aunt
Sae-ron’s alleged aunt, however, contradicted the agency, saying their relationship lasted for six years until they eventually parted ways. This means that their breakup happened sometime in 2021 or 2022.
March 2024: First relationship leak
Talks of Soo-hyun and Sae-ron’s relationship first made headlines in March 2024 after the late actress uploaded a photo of them with their cheeks touching. It was eventually taken down, but it spread like wildfire.
Despite this, GoldMedalist shut down the relationship rumors and stated that they didn’t know Sae-ron’s intention behind uploading the photo.
Kim Sae-ron (left) and Kim Soo-hyun in a now-deleted Instagram Story. Image: Instagram/@ron_sae
“We are informing you that Kim Soo Hyun’s dating rumors are not currently true… the photo that has been spread online appears to have been taken in the past when [Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron] were under the same agency. We are completely unable to understand the motivation behind Kim Sae-ron’s action,” it said.
At the time, the actor was at the height of his popularity following his K-drama “Queen of Tears.”
February 2025: Sae-ron’s death
The actress died of suicide at the age of 24. She was found dead at her home by a friend whom she promised to meet up with, according to reports.
March 10, 2025: Sae-ron’s alleged aunt goes public about their relationship
A woman claiming to be Sae-ron’s aunt revealed in an interview with Garosero Research Institute (owner of Hoverlab) that Sae-ron and Soo-hyun were in a long-term relationship before the late actress’ death.
At the time of their romance, this alleged aunt claimed that Sae-ron was only 15, while Soo-hyun was already 27, sparking concerns about the latter’s alleged grooming of the “Hi! School-Love on” star.
March 11, 2025: Relationship claims slammed anew
The actors’ relationship was again denied by GoldMedalist, saying this is “clearly false” and reiterating that it was made to “tarnish the honor of the deceased.”
“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 behavior of so-called ‘cyber wreckers’ that caused the late actress so much pain during her lifetime,” it said.
“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,” it added.
March 12, 2025: More relationship leaks
Garosero and Korean media outlet Dispatch continued to release more photos of the actors in a relationship, which caused a stir.
March 12, 2025: Seo Ye-ji gets involved
Seo, a former talent of GoldMedalist, was involved in the tussle between both camps after a fan asked if she had an “affair” with the actor. This prompted the actress to deny their involvement in her fan cafe.
Seo Ye-ji. Image: Contributed photo
“I wish this would stop now. I have no relationship with him. I don’t even know why I have to clarify this, but today I’m feeling very frustrated,” she said in Korean.
March 13, 2025: ‘Next week’
With more reports of Soo-hyun and Sae-ron’s relationship making rounds, the agency vowed to take a “clear and substantiated position” about the actor’s side, adding it would be planning to take the strongest legal action.
“We would like to address the recent content regarding Kim Soo-hyun that was broadcasted on the YouTube channel HoverLab Inc. GoldMedalist will clarify the facts and respond to the baseless rumors by presenting a clear and substantiated position next week.”
Meanwhile, the production company also said the actor’s upcoming drama “Knock-off” will continue to film as scheduled. Details on its release date and press conference are yet to be announced.
March 14, 2025: Soo-hyun’s ‘severe psychological instability’
GoldMedalist went on to clarify the allegations surrounding Soo-hyun’s relationship with Sae-ron and the breakdown of their romance earlier than scheduled due to the actor’s “severe psychological instability.”
“Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae Ron became a legal adult, until the fall of 2020. It is not true that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor,” it said while clarifying that the leaked photos of the exes were taken during the timeframe of their involvement.
Among the circulated photos of the exes include letters that were given to the actress while the “My Love from the Star” star was in the military, which the agency said were messages sent to close acquaintances.
“Distorted information based on a source whose identity is not even clear has led to the creation of rumors without any verification from the parties involved,” it further continued. “The extremely private lives of the two have been forcibly exposed by others, causing immense pain not only to Kim Soo Hyun but also to those around both individuals.”
One of the leaked photos of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron’ in their past romance. Image: Garosero Research Institute
The agency also denied that it ignored Sae-ron’s pleas for financial help during the height of her DUI controversy in 2022, saying it paid off the actress’ remaining debt.
“At the time, Kim Sae-ron, who had left our company, lacked sufficient legal knowledge regarding her debt. Thus, she sent a message to Kim Soo-hyun and not her creditor. However, Kim Soo-hyun was completely unaware of the situation between our company and Kim Sae-ron. At that time, it had been about four years since the two broke up,” it added.
March 14, 2025: Garosero fights back
GoldMedalist’s statement, however, didn’t satisfy Garosero. The online platform followed up with a seeming threat against the actor’s camp, saying it would release more “bad photos and videos of the actor.”
It also reported that the “Hi! School-Love on” star’s mother opted to not publicize more photos of the actors.
March 15, 2025: Soo-hyun requests to meet with Sae-ron’s mother
In a follow-up statement, Soo-hyun’s agency requested an in-person meeting with Sae-ron’s mother in hopes of “settling their differences in opinion.”
“We know that no words of comfort will be enough to console the broken heart of Kim Sae-ron’s mother after the loss of her daughter. We express our deepest regret toward the pain that the deceased had to endure,” it said.
Kim Soo-hyun (left) and Kim Sae-ron. Images: Instagram/@prada, GoldMedalist
GoldMedalist added that the ongoing controversy has been “inappropriate” for both sides. It also hoped that “fully explaining” everything would put the “public argument” to rest.
“We also believe that there will be things that she could not have known. It would be inappropriate for us to continue the public argument, especially for the deceased’s mother, who has been trying to recover the late actor’s reputation and the late actor. Our management would like to meet with the mother and fully explain everything. Please contact us any time at the GoldMedalist office,” it added.
Aftermath
The events following the public confirmation of Soo-hyun and Sae-ron have seemingly tarnished the actor’s image. Brands have been ending their ties with the “Queen of Tears” star, including the luxury brand Prada, Seoul-based cosmetics brand Dinto, supermarket chain Homeplus, and outdoor clothing brand Eider.
While other companies have yet to announce the termination of their contracts with the actor, billboards and other advertising-related paraphernalia have been taken down.
The actor has been met with public outrage as past photos and interviews resurface, including his notable “marrying a 21-year-old at 41” remark in 2013. Other netizens also accused him of having “pedophilic” tendencies as he spoke about his seeming attraction to former child actresses Kim Yoo-jung, Park Eun-bin and Nam Ji-hyun.
