WHY did Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun ignore his ex-girlfriend Kim Sae-ron’s plea to 'save her'? According to his agency Gold Medalist, they had advised him to stay away from the legal matter and refrain from responding to Sae-ron’s message where she had asked for assistance.
Instead, the agency assured him that they would "handle the situation professionally”. They further said that the two actors had not been in contact for four years, and he had no knowledge of her financial troubles.
The agency said upon receiving Sae-ron’s message on March 19 last year, Soo-hyun had consulted Gold Medalist to understand the situation, which is when they advised him not to get involved without expert consultation, as she might not have fully understood the legal implications of her case.
Gold Medalist stated that financial dispute was strictly between Gold Medalist and Sae-ron.
"In other words, Kim Soo-hyun has never once lent Kim Sae-ron money, nor has he ever attempted to retrieve any lent money from her.
"When Kim Sae-ron contacted Kim Soo-hyun for assistance regarding her debt, Gold Medalist was unaware of their relationship. They had already broken up by that time.
"Therefore, Gold Medalist advised that Kim Soo-hyun refrain from responding without the assistance of a legal expert. Gold Medalist intended to resolve the matter with Kim Sae-ron by enlisting the assistance of experts,” the statement said.
In the same statement, Gold Medalist also addressed claims of underage dating, stating that Soo-hyun and Sae-ron dated between the summer of 2019 and the autumn of 2020, after she had become an adult.
Gold Medalist also disclosed that later on March 26, 2024, Sae-ron’s legal representatives acknowledged and discussed her outstanding debt and devised a repayment strategy, ultimately leading to the resolution of the financial dispute between the two.
Gold Medalist also denied demanding repayment from Sae-ron as her debt was waived, clarifying that the legal notice they issued was a necessary step to formalise the debt write-off. It said that without this notice, there was a risk that Sae-ron would be required to pay a significant gift tax on the waived amount.
The agency noted that the total damages amounted to approximately KRW1.114 billion (USD$765,000) and they did all we could to reduce the amount so that Sae-on had to pay off herself. Through the efforts of both the actress and the agency, the damages were reduced to KRW700 billion (USD$481,000).
It said the repair and sale of Sae-ron's vehicle was among the efforts to reduce the total amount in damages, which was done by Gold Medalist under Sae-ron's consent – debunking claims by Hoverlab that Gold Medalist ‘stole’ Sae-ron's vehicle to pay off her debt.
The agency added that despite Sae-ron's efforts, she could not continue her work after the accident and was incapable of paying off the remaining debt thus Gold Medalist indemnified her debt amount in December of 2023.
"This information can be verified by Gold Medalists's tax statement submitted on April 1, 2024, which lists Kim Sae-ron's debt as irrecoverable debt.
"It is quite unreasonable to link these events, which occurred approximately a year ago, as the cause of the actress's death.
"A year later, we are being condemned for our efforts, made to seem as if the company had pressured Kim Sae Ron into her unfortunate decision,” the agency said.