On March 25, a representative from the late Kim Sae Ron's side strongly denied claims made by a man identified as A, who introduced himself as Kim Sae Ron's former boyfriend. A alleged that Kim's death was caused by an abusive husband and neglectful family, not actor Kim Soo Hyun.
Kwon Young Chan, the head of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association, who has been in communication with late Kim Sae Ron's family, stated in an interview with CBS No Cut News on the 25th that Kim's parents had supported her through multiple suicide attempts during her lifetime.
"Kim Sae Ron attempted to take her life about 20 times. Her parents took her to the hospital 18 times. On the day YouTuber Lee Jin Ho and A claimed that Kim's agency paid for her surgery, Kim had not contacted her mother. As a result, her manager, B, accompanied her instead. Kim's mother works as a designated driver and sleeps during the day. When the agency’s CEO found out, they scolded B for not informing the family about the situation," Kwon explained.
Regarding A's claim that Kim suffered because of an abusive husband, Kwon stated, "A is speaking as if Kim Sae Ron was completely dependent on him and confided everything to him. But they only dated for one month. It’s unreasonable to think that Kim would have shared such intimate details with someone she had only been with for a month. Furthermore, A’s attempt to deflect blame from Kim Soo Hyun and shift it toward Kim’s family raises questions about his credibility."
Kwon also addressed Kim Sae Ron's relationship with her mother. "Her mother quit her job and took on the role of Kim’s manager from when she was a child actor. She also opposed Kim's transfer to Gold Medalist and her connection with Kim Soo Hyun. That could explain why Kim might have had difficulty confiding in her mother when things went wrong. Still, those around them describe their relationship as a complicated bond of love and resentment that lasted for 25 years."
Additionally, questions have been raised about the 5 million KRW (about $ 3412) allegedly paid for Kim's emergency surgery. Kwon noted that it’s unusual for such a high fee to be charged for emergency treatment following a suicide attempt. Hospital bills issued under Kim’s legal name, Kim Ah Im, show charges under the "hospitalization" and "intermediate care" categories but lack detailed cost breakdowns. However, the documents indicate that the costs were "100% insurance-covered," suggesting that Kim may have borne the full cost herself.
"540,000 KRW (about $400) was paid — 500,000 KRW (about $ 3412) and 40,000 KRW (about $30) — but the receipts don’t have detailed breakdowns. It looks suspiciously like a 'credit card laundering' scheme, where payments are disguised as purchases to obtain cash illegally. Emergency treatment for such incidents usually costs between 200,000 KRW (about $140) and 400,000 KRW (about $30), even for non-insured procedures at plastic surgery clinics. The amount charged here is difficult to explain," Kwon said.
He added, "All payments were made with the agency CEO’s card. But when the family recently contacted the hospital, they were told that part of the 500,000 KRW (about $ 3412) payment had been made using Kim's mother’s credit card. The hospital said the remaining funds were collected by the payer. This situation is highly unusual — it’s not like a hotel deposit."
Manager B, who was heard speaking with a woman presumed to be Kim Sae Ron in an audio recording released by YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, denied consenting to the release of the recording and has since cut off contact with Kim’s family.
Kwon remarked, "We tried to contact B to clarify the 540,000 KRW (about $400) payment, but he’s unreachable. B closely managed Kim’s daily life and meals. Every time Kim attempted to make a comeback, private information would leak, leading to negative public opinion due to Lee Jin Ho’s videos. It's hard not to suspect that B was leaking this information."
Kwon also commented on the claim that B had no connection with Kim Soo Hyun. "B previously worked as a manager for actress Han Ga In during 'The Moon Embracing the Sun,' where Kim Soo Hyun was the male lead. Managers of top actors are usually closely connected, so it's unlikely that B and Kim Soo Hyun’s team were completely unconnected."
As the controversy escalates into a public dispute over Kim's private life, her family is expected to release an official statement soon.
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