Actor Kim Soo Hyun has publicly denied allegations that he dated the late actress Kim Sae Ron while she was still a minor.

In a press conference held on March 31st at Stanford Hotel in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Kim stated, “The late Kim Sae Ron and I were in a relationship for about a year, five years ago — which is four years before Queen of Tears aired. We did not date while she was a minor.”

Opening the press conference, Kim said, “It seems too many people are suffering because of me. I’m truly sorry.”

He also expressed regret toward Kim Sae Ron, saying, “It pains me to think she still can’t rest in peace.”

Kim Soo Hyun explained, “We dated for about a year in 2020, four years before Queen of Tears aired. At the time, I denied the relationship,” adding, “It’s only natural that people criticize me for that, and I understand if they don’t believe what I’m saying about our relationship.”

He continued, “We were a normal couple like anyone else. We had mutual feelings for each other, and eventually, we broke up with time.”

Kim also clarified their lack of contact afterward. “After we broke up, we rarely kept in touch. Even when she was involved in the DUI incident, it wasn’t easy to reach out. I knew she was dating someone else at the time,” he said.

Addressing rumors surrounding her death, he stated firmly, “It is not true that she made a tragic choice because I turned my back on her or because my agency didn’t pay off her debts.”

Throughout the press conference, Kim was in tears and admitted his deep anxiety over the exposure of his private life through YouTube channels.

“I’ve always thought of myself as a coward,” he said. “It took me a long time to stand here today. Every time something about my private life was exposed, I kept thinking, ‘Maybe I should just tell everything tomorrow,’ or ‘Let’s just end this hellish situation.’”

SEE ALSO: Kim Soo Hyun’s Disney+ series ‘Knock Off’ halts filming amid ongoing scandal