Actor Kim Soo-hyun's legal representative has refuted the core allegations made by HoverLab(가로세로연구소), claiming they are unfounded.
On the 14th, Kho Sang-rock, a lawyer from the law firm Pil representing Kim Soo-hyun, posted a statement titled 'Warning Against the Spread of False Information and Private Material via Online Platforms and Caution Regarding Attorney Bu Ji-seok' on his YouTube channel.
In the statement, Kho said, "According to the recent position of Attorney Bu Ji-seok, the representative of the late Kim Sae-ron's family, it is as if Lee Mo and the family have already admitted to the crime."
He continued, "Through broadcast interviews and rebuttal processes, the family stated that they never told Mr. Kim Se-eui that the photos were taken during the deceased's minor years. The sender's name on the June 2016 KakaoTalk message is 'Unknown,' and the only reason it was assumed to be actor Kim Soo-hyun is because the deceased's sibling said so. The April 13, 2018 KakaoTalk message only exists as a cropped screenshot with no sender, receiver, or response. The family clarified that they never thought or claimed that the deceased suffered and died because of actor Kim Soo-hyun."
Kho emphasized, "This aligns exactly with what I have previously confirmed. Now that the family's position is clear, a truth battle between the family and Kim Se-eui is expected to continue. We anticipate that investigative agencies will clarify this matter. However, separate from that, since the family's position, the source of all information, has been confirmed, the core aspects of this cybercrime case have already been revealed."
He further stated, "Since the core allegations related to the actor raised by HoverLab have been confirmed as false by the source informants (Lee Mo and the family), there is no room to claim that the public act has a legitimate purpose such as public interest. From this point on, if any private material related to the actor is distributed in any form without the actor's consent, regardless of whether it has been previously disclosed by HoverLab, we will consider civil damages claims and additional criminal actions depending on the case."
On the same day, the first hearing of the damages lawsuit filed by Cuckoo Electronics against Kim Soo-hyun, who was their exclusive model, took place. Previously, Cuckoo Electronics, along with rental specialist Cuckoo Homesys and its Malaysian subsidiary Cuckoo International Berhad, jointly filed a damages lawsuit worth over 2 billion KRW against Kim Soo-hyun and his agency Gold Medalist.
The court requested the plaintiffs to clarify the reasons for contract termination. The court asked, "Is it possible to terminate the contract if the trust relationship breaks down without any fault? If you are claiming a breakdown due to fault, please specify what the fault of the other party is." The court has scheduled another hearing for January 16 next year.
By Taeyuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr