SEOUL (AP) 鈥 A young actorsa国际传媒 suicide in South Korea. Allegations of an underage relationship. They are part of a growing drama in the Asian entertainment world that raises questions about societysa国际传媒 treatment of celebrities in crisis, with harsh media and online commentary amplifying their lowest moments.
This week, South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun that he dated the late actor Kim Sae-ron when she was under the age of sexual consent. His emotional press conference followed Kim Sae-ronsa国际传媒 in February, which reignited allegations that they were romantically involved.
Heresa国际传媒 what we know about the case.
Who was Kim Sae-ron?
Kim Sae-ron was once one of South Korea's most promising film stars. She began acting at age 9 in the 2009 film 鈥淎 Brand New Life,鈥 which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She gained further recognition with 鈥淭he Man from Nowhere鈥 (2010) and 鈥淎 Girl at My Door鈥 (2014), also invited to Cannes.
Her career halted in May 2022 after she crashed her car in Seoul while driving under the influence. Despite offering a public apology and reportedly paying compensation to shops that lost power because of the crash, she faced relentless negative attention.
___
EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: In South Korea, callers can receive 24-hour counseling through the suicide prevention hotline 1577-0199, the 鈥淟ife Line鈥 service at 1588-9191, the 鈥淗ope Phone鈥 at 129 and the 鈥淵outh Phone鈥 at 1388.
___
Media and online commentators scrutinized her personal life. YouTube gossip channels accused her of exaggerating financial difficulties and questioned her sincerity. Critics, and her family, say it contributed to her declining mental health.
She killed herself on Feb. 16, Kim Soo-hyun's birthday.
Who is Kim Soo-hyun and what is he accused of?
Kim Soo-hyun, 37, also has been one of South Koreasa国际传媒 most recognized actors, known for dramas such as 鈥淢y Love from the Star鈥 (2013) and 鈥淨ueen of Tears鈥 (2024) as well as films like 鈥淭he Thieves鈥 (2012) and 鈥淪ecretly, Greatly鈥 (2013).
Speculation about a relationship with Kim Sae-ron began last year when she posted a photo of them together, quickly deleted. Gold Medalist, the agency co-founded by Kim Soo-hyun, denied the relationship, according to South Korean media.
Days after Kim Sae-ronsa国际传媒 death, a YouTube channel known for its politically charged content, HoverLab, alleged that she and Kim Soo-hyun had been in a six-year romantic relationship beginning in 2015, when she was 15 and he was in his late 20s. The channel released what it called evidence including photos, videos and letters. Kim Soo-hyun has called them fabricated.
Kim Sae-ronsa国际传媒 family had approached HoverLab to release the materials, calling it an attempt to restore Kim Sae-ronsa国际传媒 image.
On March 27, a lawyer representing Kim Sae-ronsa国际传媒 family presented to journalists what the family claimed was a photo of an undelivered letter written in 2024 in which Kim Sae-ron described Kim Soo-hyun as her 鈥渇irst and last love鈥 and referenced a five-to-six-year relationship.
The letter was written after she failed to reach Kim Soo-hyun to discuss a debt she owed his agency, according to the lawyer. After Kim Sae-ron's contract ended and wasn't renewed, the agency asked her to pay back 700 million won (about $520,000) in damages related to her drunk-driving case. Her family says the demand placed severe pressure on her.
Kim Soo-hyun has acknowledged that he dated Kim Sae-ron but insisted their relationship began after she became an adult. He called claims of an underage relationship false and damaging.
鈥淚t is also not true that the deceased made a tragic choice because of my avoidance (of her), or because my agency pressured her about debt," an emotional Kim told Mondaysa国际传媒 press conference.
He refused to answer a question from the AP about when he first met Kim Sae-ron.
Could there be legal consequences?
Whether any laws were broken depends largely on timing. South Korea raised its age of sexual consent from 13 to 16 in 2020. Kim Sae-ron was born in 2000, and the family alleges the relationship began in 2015, when she was 15 and Kim Soo-hyun was 27.
Kim Soo-hyun maintains that their relationship lasted from summer 2019 to fall 2020, when Kim Sae-ron was a legal adult.
Kim Soo-hyun's agency has taken legal action against the family of Kim Sae-ron and HoverLab, which first aired the underage relationship claims, for distributing private photos and videos of the actor, including images of Kim Soo-hyun kissing the late actor. Kimsa国际传媒 agency said Kim Sae-ron had visited his apartment and his family was present. The agency said they were not dating at the time.
On Monday, Kim Soo-hyun's lawyer announced a civil lawsuit seeking 12 billion won (approximately $8.15 million) in damages against the YouTube channel and Kim Sae-ron's family, along with criminal complaints alleging defamation and violation of privacy laws. Kim Soo-hyun and his agency also sued the YouTube channel operator for stalking.
The familysa国际传媒 legal representative and HoverLab both told the AP on Wednesday that they plan to sue Kim Soo-hyun and his agency for making false claims about his relationship with the late actor.
What role did online harassment play?
Kimsa国际传媒 death reignited criticism of South Koreasa国际传媒 relentless tabloid and digital media culture. Her family has singled out videos with speculative, unverified content portraying her as emotionally unstable and morally questionable.
Suing for defamation is often a lengthy, costly battle for South Korean celebrities, as many platforms, like YouTube, are based overseas. Punishments are typically light, with fines or suspended sentences.
Other high-profile cases following negative online attention have included the deaths of K-pop singers and in 2019 and 鈥淧arasite鈥 actor in 2023.
Whatsa国际传媒 the fallout?
Fashion brand Prada has ended its collaboration with Kim Soo-hyun. South Korean cosmetics company Dinto terminated its one-year contract with him, citing the seriousness of the controversy. 7-Eleven Taiwan canceled a Kim Soo-hyun fan event last month, citing schedule changes.
An online this week calling for the age of consent to be raised from 16 to 19 has gathered nearly 40,000 signatures on the National Assemblysa国际传媒 website.
Suggested in South Korea meant to discourage harsh online comments have not been passed.