The bereaved family of the late Kim Sae Ron held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the afternoon of March 17 to explain the background behind the release of photos of Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun's relationship, as well as the reasons for filing a lawsuit against YouTuber Lee.

On this day, Bu Ji Seok, a lawyer from the law firm Buyou and the legal representative of Kim Sae Ron's family, appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to file a complaint against YouTuber Lee. He was joined by Kwon Young Chan, the head of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association, and Kim Se Ui, the head of the YouTube channel HOVERLAB (Garo Sero Research Institute), for the press conference.

Lawyer Bu stated, “A precious life has gone to heaven. Kim Sae Ron’s mother had planned to attend today, but she is bedridden due to severe distress. She is struggling immensely. Her father also wanted to come, but as he was the sole provider for the family, he was unable to attend. He has been working from early morning until late at night.”

The family clarified the reason for releasing the photos of Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron’s relationship. Lawyer Bu explained, “The bereaved family only wanted Kim Soo Hyun to acknowledge the relationship because it was necessary for their lawsuit against YouTuber Lee. However, the false statements made by Kim Soo Hyun’s side have caused further pain to the family, and we hope that even now, a sincere apology will be made.”

He continued, “After receiving the first legal notice from her agency, Kim Sae Ron suffered extreme distress. She sent a message to Kim Soo Hyun, pleading, ‘Please save me.’ When she received no response, she thought that posting photos from their relationship might get his attention, which is why she uploaded them to social media.”

Regarding these photos, Lawyer Bu accused YouTuber Lee of defaming the deceased by labeling the situation as a “fabrication” and calling it a “self-made romance.” He stated, “Lee referred to the photos as a ‘fabrication’ and ‘self-made romance,’ portraying Kim Sae Ron as a delusional woman. We had no choice but to file a lawsuit. Moreover, Lee deleted videos about Kim Sae Ron after her death, which is a clear attempt to destroy evidence.”

The press conference also delved into details regarding the legal notice sent by Kim Soo Hyun’s side. Lawyer Bu explained, “After the agency sent the first legal notice demanding the repayment of 700 million KRW (~484,153 USD), the deceased sent a desperate message to Kim Soo Hyun asking for help. Despite this, his side proceeded with a second legal notice through his agency. They argue that it was a necessary action due to breach of duty, but in reality, the notice essentially pressured her to repay the debt within a given period.”

He further stated, “The legal notice also contained a warning not to contact Kim Soo Hyun or other actors from the agency directly. Additionally, it threatened legal action over the released photos. After the second legal notice, there was no contact from Kim Soo Hyun, and she was also cut off from actors from his agency with whom she had previously been in touch.”

The bereaved family expressed deep frustration, saying, “It is impossible to even fathom the mental anguish she suffered from receiving such legal notices. We cannot understand why, only now, they are issuing public statements saying they are waiting for the family's contact.” They also stated that they are reviewing potential legal action against Kim Soo Hyun’s side.

Meanwhile, HOVERLAB has alleged that Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun were in a relationship for six years, starting when she was 15. In response, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, issued a statement saying, “They dated when she was an adult, and the allegations regarding the debt are different from what has been claimed. Who benefits from exposing private matters without consent?”

SEE ALSO: Kim Sae Ron's bereaved family releases an AI-generated memorial video of the late actress