Kim Soo-hyun’s agency denies demanding damages from Kim Sae-ron

Actor Kim Soo-hyun / Courtesy of SBW

Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s agency reiterated its denial of allegations that it demanded damages from the late actor Kim Sae-ron, saying that a second legal notice sent to her was merely a procedural communication and not a demand for repayment.

“We have never demanded damages from Kim Sae-ron under any circumstances," Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, said in an official statement released Tuesday.

The agency said that it did not ask her to compensate for any alleged harm to a production. “It is impossible to file a claim for damages simply because someone uploads a photo on social media or communicates with actors from the same agency," it said in the statement.

Gold Medalist also denied coercing Kim Sae-ron into repaying a debt, saying that it had worked with her to resolve compensation related to a drunk driving incident. As a result of those efforts, the amount was reduced to approximately 700 million won (about $520,000).

“Kim Sae-ron faced difficulties in continuing her career, and we ultimately determined in December 2023 that she was no longer capable of repaying the debt, so we processed the loss as a write-off," the agency said.

Gold Medalist added that this write-off was reflected in its audit report dated April 1, 2024, confirming the bad debt was written off as of Dec. 31, 2023.

The agency noted that the second legal notice was merely a procedural step to communicate a willingness to discuss the method and schedule of repayment. “It was never a demand, but a notification expressing our intention to cooperate on the matter,” the agency said.

Providing further details, the agency explained the timeline behind the two legal notices. The first was sent to notify that the debt had been classified as uncollectible and written off, a step taken to prevent potential liability for breach of fiduciary duty among company executives.

After Kim Sae-ron sent a text message to Kim Soo-hyun and posted a photo of the two on social media on March 24, 2024, the second notice was issued the next day.

Gold Medalist said that the second letter was intended to explain the rationale behind the first and express a forward-looking willingness to negotiate. “Because the loan repayment period had matured, and if we did not pursue the matter, our executives could face criminal liability, (so) we issued the second notice,” the agency said, emphasizing again that it was not intended as pressure.

On March 26, 2024, the day after the second notice was sent, Gold Medalist’s legal representative also contacted Kim Sae-ron’s management, stating, “In appreciation of your past efforts, and in acknowledgment of the responsibility for the damages incurred, we would like to coordinate the final repayment amount and future repayment plan through mutual discussion.”

Through this process, the agency said that the financial issue between Gold Medalist and Kim Sae-ron had been fully resolved.

Response to other allegations

Gold Medalist also addressed allegations that Kim Sae-ron was banned from contacting other actors under the same agency. “We never restricted Kim Sae-ron from contacting other actors, and in fact, she freely communicated with them,” it said.

The agency further denied claims that it had spread rumors about actress Seo Yea-ji, who was affiliated with the agency until 2023. “The claim that we slandered Seo Yea-ji is completely false. Even her former manager, who has since left the company, contacted us expressing disbelief over the rumor,” the agency said.

Gold Medalist criticized both the bereaved family of Kim Sae-ron and the YouTube channel Hoverlab, better known as Garo Sero Institute, for repeatedly making false claims through press conferences and reports. “Please stop trying to damage Kim Soo-hyun’s reputation by citing unrelated photos and online posts,” the agency said.

Previously, the YouTube channel claimed that Kim Soo-hyun began dating Kim Sae-ron when he was 27 and she was 15. It also alleged that Gold Medalist sent a certified legal notice demanding Kim Sae-ron repay 700 million won.

Gold Medalist refuted these claims, saying that they dated from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, when she was an adult. Meanwhile, Kim Sae-ron’s family is demanding a public apology from Kim Soo-hyun.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.