Kim Soo Hyun's side has reportedly met with the late Kim Sae Ron's former agency officials and acquaintances and is trying to persuade them to hold a press conference.

Speculation has arisen that they may have secured evidence and materials suggesting that Kim Sae Ron’s tragic death was not solely due to Gold Medalist’s demand for a 700 million KRW repayment.

Regarding this, an entertainment industry source stated on March 19, "I understand that Gold Medalist has confirmed through various channels certain materials and data that can infer Kim Sae Ron’s schedule and emotional state in the months before her death. They have also met with several individuals who support this, and they are currently trying to persuade one or two key figures to step forward for an interview or press conference."

Since the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, which conveys the bereaved family's stance, has strong influence, responding to each and every claim or overturning the situation at once is difficult. 

However, it also seems that they cannot simply stand by. With more than 10 advertisement deals severed and financial losses to programs and projects she was appearing in, they seem to be attempting to reverse the situation with information filtered through fact-checking. Their crisis management strategy appears to focus on easing their grievances without provoking the deceased and her bereaved family.

Kim Soo Hyun's side is currently responding to the crisis in three parts. A law firm handling legal reviews serves as the central control tower, a management team monitors media and advertisements, and a crisis management team composed of internal and external experts is in operation. 

The crisis management team has been meeting with Kim Sae Ron’s acquaintances and former agency officials to trace her situation before her death, leading to speculation that they may have secured significant statements and data in the process.

One of them is Kim Sae Ron’s two-week trip to the U.S. in January, a month before her death. At the time, Kim Sae Ron uploaded the word "Marry" and a photo taken with a man on SNS, fueling marriage rumors, which were initially dismissed as a misunderstanding. Reports now explain that the man in the deleted photo was a Korean-American working at a U.S. company with whom she had promised marriage. The claim is that her trip to the U.S. was for wedding preparations.

If this is true, the bereaved family's claim that Gold Medalist’s first and second legal notices and Kim Soo Hyun’s severed contact led to her death may lose some of its strength.

An industry source cautiously remarked, "Gold Medalist, under pressure, wants to escape the frame of 'Kim Soo Hyun’s responsibility' as soon as possible. I wonder if there is a smoking gun strong enough to console the bereaved family and shift public opinion."

There is concern that if Kim Soo Hyun's side does not issue a sincere apology, it could end up stirring up another hornet’s nest.

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