Why Kim Soo-hyun revealed 150 love letters to deny rumors about late Kim Sae-ron

Kim Soo-hyun / Xportsnews

Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s legal team has released a series of letters he wrote during his military service in an effort to counter allegations that he was romantically involved with the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was underage. The defense says the evidence proves that Kim’s attention was entirely focused on his then-girlfriend and that his interactions with Kim Sae-ron were “ordinary and professional.”

Letters reveal ‘exclusive devotion’ to then-girlfriend

On Sept. 30, attorney Ko Sang-rok, representing Kim, shared one of the letters the actor sent to his girlfriend while serving in the military. The move came amid renewed allegations that Kim had a relationship with Kim Sae-ron, who was a minor at the time.

Ko said the controversy began after a YouTube channel aired a video on March 10, 2025, citing a KakaoTalk message Kim Sae-ron allegedly sent a friend a year earlier, on March 25, 2024. “Even after the agency and actor immediately refuted the claims, the channel continued spreading manipulated messages and distorted interpretations, portraying him as a perverted pedophile,” Ko said, explaining why the private letters were made public.

In a follow-up statement on Oct. 2, Ko said the letters were not intended merely to show that Kim had a girlfriend at the time. “The point is not just that there was someone in his life,” he said. “It’s that he was so completely devoted to that relationship that there was no room for any other feelings.”

Evidence disputes claims of affection

Ko emphasized that the only existing materials from Kim’s military period related to Kim Sae-ron are “a single letter sent in 2018 and a short video of a meal during his leave.” He added that Kim wrote around 150 letters to his then-girlfriend, showing “unwavering devotion” and leaving “no space for other emotions.”

By contrast, Ko said, Kim’s correspondence with Kim Sae-ron contained no promises, affectionate expressions, shared memories, or descriptions of the recipient. Even the phrase “I miss you,” he said, was a casual remark “commonly used by soldiers when addressing acquaintances.”

Kim Soo-hyun, left, and Kim Sae-ron / Xportsnews

Visit to home was not a ‘date,’ lawyer says

Ko also addressed a video showing Kim Sae-ron visiting Kim’s home, saying it had been “an ordinary and natural meeting during a single day of leave.” He noted that the gathering took place in a home Kim shared with his older brother, further disputing the notion that it was a romantic encounter.

The attorney reiterated that the relationship between Kim and Kim Sae-ron was “a normal, professional interaction” and that “all evidence supports this — with nothing to indicate otherwise.”

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.