Following the tragic passing of actress Kim Sae Ron, YouTuber Lee Jin Ho has come under fire for reporting on the actress’s personal life before her death. In response to the backlash, Lee released a statement defending his actions.

On February 19, Lee Jin Ho uploaded a video titled 'Clarifying My Position on Kim Sae Ron' on his YouTube channel, 'Entertainment President Lee Jin Ho.'

Expressing his condolences, Lee stated, "I cannot begin to imagine the pain her family is going through. This situation has deeply saddened me as well. I sincerely wish for the late Kim Sae Ron to rest in peace." He went on to refute allegations that he had harassed Kim while she was alive, calling such claims baseless. "I have enough evidence to counter these accusations," he asserted.

According to Lee, the videos he made about Kim Sae Ron were carefully reviewed before being published. "I only uploaded content after verifying it with her acquaintances and agency representatives," he explained. To support his claim, he released an audio recording of a conversation with Kim's manager.

The recording revealed that the manager was from the agency Kim had newly signed with and had been assisting her even before the contract was formalized. 

Lee, who had prior ties with the manager, stated, "For two years, we shared the sentiment that while Kim Sae Ron had made mistakes, she still needed a means to support herself. She should be given a chance to continue some form of work." This, according to Lee, was the motivation behind his videos discussing Kim’s financial struggles, including her part-time job at a café in Seongsu-dong and her tutoring of aspiring actors as a form of volunteer work.

Lee further claimed that discussions about Kim giving an interview had taken place due to her urgent need for a career comeback. "Her agency was actively involved in these discussions, and I incorporated their input into my videos," he stated.

"I knew that revealing Kim Sae Ron had signed with an agency would provoke public criticism. The media had been scrutinizing every aspect of her life, and I genuinely wanted her to be given another chance. That’s why I deliberately refrained from covering any unfavorable aspects regarding her," Lee said.

He concluded by citing an agency representative who allegedly told him, "The claim that you tormented Kim Sae Ron is completely untrue."

SEE ALSO: One journalist shares that rumors of Kim Sae Ron staging her part-time job are false