On October 14, Kim Sae-ron's mother, identified as Ms. A, released a statement through a YouTube channel.
Ms. A stated, "Our purpose is to restore the honor of our child, which was destroyed in an instant by numerous false articles. We also want to lay the groundwork for legally punishing the malicious YouTubers and cyber bullies who continue to commit these crimes."
She continued, "Sae-ron never lied to the media. She did not indulge in gambling, nor did she pretend to work part-time as a lie. She was not a child who only enjoyed nightlife with friends. She did not spark dating rumors with manipulated photos."
Ms. A emphasized, "Now that Sae-ron is no longer with us, there are outrageous false articles claiming she was the breadwinner of the family and that her family squandered hundreds of millions she earned. These articles are not even worth reading."
She added, "All the sharp arrows of false articles were directed at my young daughter, Sae-ron, who had just turned twenty. She endured unspeakable, misogynistic attacks alone. Sae-ron bravely endured for three years, unable to sleep for 24 hours a day, facing collective ostracism triggered by false articles from Lee Jin-ho."
Ms. A expressed hope that "our family's tragedy will motivate the establishment of legal and institutional measures to ensure that the media fulfills its duty and responsibility, so such incidents do not happen again."
Previously, Kim Sae-ron's family claimed that she had been in a relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun from the age of 15 for six years, releasing photos of the two together. On October 12, they released a photo of Kim Soo-hyun kissing Kim Sae-ron and letters he sent during his military service, causing a stir.
In response, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, stated on October 14, "Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after she became an adult. It is not true that he dated her while she was a minor." They also refuted claims that Kim Soo-hyun ignored Kim Sae-ron's financial issues, stating that the letters sent during his military service were among those sent to close acquaintances.
Hello. We are the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron.
After much deliberation, we decided to release this statement upon seeing our family's intentions being distorted and misrepresented. As previously communicated to Ga Se-yeon, our purpose is to restore the honor of our child, which was destroyed in an instant by numerous false articles. We also want to lay the groundwork for legally punishing the malicious YouTubers and cyber bullies who continue to commit these crimes.
Sae-ron never lied to the media. She did not indulge in gambling, nor did she pretend to work part-time as a lie. She was not a child who only enjoyed nightlife with friends. She did not spark dating rumors with manipulated photos. However, Lee Jin-ho and cyber bullies created false articles that dragged a promising young actress and her family into hell. Gold Medalist labeled Sae-ron as a confused girl who lied without understanding her intentions. Now that Sae-ron is no longer with us, there are outrageous false articles claiming she was the breadwinner of the family and that her family squandered hundreds of millions she earned. These articles are not even worth reading.
Many people are witnessing the process of the incident being reproduced and expanded with just a few photos provided to Ga Se-yeon in recent days. Even if a powerful company and great lawyers are behind it, they can respond and take action to resolve the incident in some way. However, at that time, Sae-ron had no one but her family. All the sharp arrows of false articles were directed at my young daughter, Sae-ron, who had just turned twenty. She endured unspeakable, misogynistic attacks alone. It was Lee Jin-ho and the cyber bullies who trampled on the fallen child, kicked her, and threw her down again. There were also irresponsible media outlets and commenters who spread Lee Jin-ho and the cyber bullies' writings without knowing the facts. Sae-ron bravely endured for three years, unable to sleep for 24 hours a day, facing collective ostracism triggered by false articles from Lee Jin-ho.
At that time, no media outlet made any effort to verify the truth or facts. They simply spread Lee Jin-ho's writings, slandering a promising actress and abandoning her, while maintaining their daily lives with their salaries. As a bereaved family, we asked for help, saying there were many unfair parts, but no media outlet extended a hand. During the funeral, YouTubers came to the funeral home with hidden cameras, and Lee Jin-ho called even during the mourning period. Can you call these people human? Can you forgive such people? If Professor Kwon Young-chan of the Korea Entertainment Suicide Prevention Association had not reached out and asked, and if Kim Se-ui of Ga Se-yeon had not extended a hand, our family would have been sacrificed to Lee Jin-ho and the cyber bullies, carrying the tarnished honor of Sae-ron in people's minds and living with resentment for the rest of our lives.
Currently, the actions of Lee Jin-ho and others are crimes. However, within the framework of the law that cannot keep up with the changing world, it is difficult to charge them with murder. We, the bereaved family, only hope that our tragedy will motivate the establishment of legal and institutional measures to ensure that the media fulfills its duty and responsibility, so such incidents do not happen again.
Choi Ji-ye, Ten Asia Reporter wisdomart@tenasia.co.kr