Hoverlab challenges Kim Soo-hyun again with new KakaoTalk messages

A photo of Kim Soo-hyun from Sept. 20, 2017, released by Hoverlab / Captured from Hoverlab YouTube channel

Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s press conference and his legal team’s detailed rebuttal have failed to quell the controversy over his dating rumors with the late actor Kim Sae-ron.

YouTube channel Hoverlab continues to release new material challenging his denial and fueling ongoing mudslinging over his alleged relationship with Kim Sae-ron.

As Kim Soo-hyun's team dismissed the evidence presented by the family of Kim Sae-ron as “fabricated” on Wednesday, Hoverlab pushed back by revealing what it says are original KakaoTalk messages between Kim and Kim Sae-ron.

Hoverlab streamed live what it said were original KakaoTalk messages from Kim Sae-ron, refuting Kim’s denial. The video showed a phone screen being scrolled through, allegedly displaying the unedited messages.

According to Hoverlab, the messages were exchanged between Kim Sae-ron and her cousin after dating rumors resurfaced when she posted a selfie with Kim Soo-hyun on Instagram last year.

Hoverlab said Kim Sae-ron sent a message to Kim Soo-hyun in April 2018 that read, “You’re always available when you need me, but never when I need you. I’m tired of not being able to reach you. If you’re not going to try, I won’t meet you anymore.”

Hoverlab CEO Kim Se-ui said, “We outsourced the forensic analysis. All of this data comes from Kim Soo-hyun’s phone,” while revealing metadata from what he alleged were KakaoTalk messages exchanged between Kim and Kim Sae-ron.

“This isn’t a romantic relationship?” Kim Se-ui said. “That message was sent and captured at 2:30 a.m. on Apr. 13, 2018. He was on military leave. Wouldn’t anyone be upset if their boyfriend was out meeting others instead of them?” He added, “Forensic data doesn’t lie.”

At the time, Kim Soo-hyun was serving in the military, having enlisted in October 2017 and discharged in July 2019. Kim Sae-ron was in her second year of high school and was 17 years old.

A KakaoTalk message Hoverlab alleges the late Kim Sae-ron to actor Kim Soo-hyun in April 2018 / Captured from the Hoverlab YouTube channel

Deepening timeline controversy

In March last year, while the show “Queen of Tears” was airing, Kim Sae-ron uploaded a selfie to Instagram showing her cheek-to-cheek with Kim Soo-hyun, reportedly after failing to reach him directly. The post was deleted shortly after it went up.

As dating rumors spread, Kim’s agency, Gold Medalist, denied the rumor, saying they were unsure of her intentions. Some critics accused the late actor of fueling a “self-made dating rumor.”

After receiving a legal notice from Gold Medalist last year, Kim Sae-ron sent a text message to Kim Soo-hyun using her cousin’s phone number.

The video also included a lengthy message allegedly written by Kim Sae-ron. In the message, she said, “The photo uploaded to the (KakaoTalk) Story is from 2016, and the relationship lasted from Nov. 19, 2015, to July 7, 2021. I was 16 at the time, and he was 30. That’s how our six-year relationship ended.”

However, the age difference between Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun is 12 years. Kim’s legal team previously noted that this is not something the late actor could have been mistaken about.

Kim Soo-hyun’s side said that the dating photos released by Hoverlab were all taken in 2020 after Kim Sae-ron had become an adult. Regarding the KakaoTalk messages exchanged in 2018, the representatives said, “Kim Soo-hyun was on military leave at the time and did exchange messages, but they did not meet in person. They were not in a romantic relationship then and only began dating after the summer of 2019.”

This article is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.