Kim Sae-ron's friends to release statement to refute Kim Soo-hyun’s denial

Actor Kim Soo-hyun speaks during a press conference at the Stanford Hotel Seoul, Monday, addressing allegations that he dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. Yonhap By KTimes A group of eight close acquaintances of the late actress Kim Sae-ron is preparing to release a public statement in response to actor Kim Soo-hyun’s denial that he was in a romantic relationship with her while she was underage, according to TV Chosun and other outlets on Wednesday. The group is made up of individuals who were close to Kim Sae-ron and claim to have either witnessed or directly heard about the nature of the alleged relationship between the two. Their decision to issue a joint statement follows Kim’s public denial of the allegations during a press conference on Monday. Attorney Bu Ji-seok, representing the family through the law firm Buyou, said in a televised interview with TV Chosun that the family had hoped for “a sincere apology” from Kim, but were disappointed. “Friends who watched the press conference were frustrated and [have] conveyed that they are writing a statement, which may be made public,” he said. Bu added, “Even saying something like, ‘We had feelings for each other when we were young, but didn’t begin a relationship until adulthood,’ would have been better. It’s hard to understand why he continues to completely deny it.” Kim’s legal team has firmly denied the allegations, calling the claim that he dated Kim Sae-ron while she was underage “categorically false.” This article is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.