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Time of India
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Despite Kim Sae-ron scandal, Kim Soo-hyun remains No. 1 in star rankings for fifth straight week
Kim Soo-hyun, currently one of the most talked-about figures in South Korea's entertainment scene, has held onto his No. 1 spot in the Star Ranking poll for male actors for the fifth consecutive week. During the 115th voting round, held from May 29 at 3:01 PM to June 5 at 3:00 PM, he amassed a total of 182,051 votes. Trailing behind him were King the Land star Lee Jun Ho in second place with 63,618 votes, and Lovely Runner actor Byun Woo Seok in third with 17,117 votes. View this post on Instagram What is Star Ranking and its rewards Star Ranking is a weekly fan-voting platform that allows fans to vote for their favorite celebrities. Fans who vote receive digital certificates, and those who top the rankings are rewarded with various promotional benefits. Any star who maintains the No. 1 position for four consecutive weeks is rewarded with a feature on an LED billboard advertisement. Additionally, fans are encouraged to submit proposals for extra fan-support video ads to celebrate their favorite celebrities. Allegations surrounding Kim Soo-hyun Despite his popularity, Kim Soo-hyun remains embroiled in controversy following recent allegations made by the bereaved family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. The family claimed that the Queen of Tears actor and Kim Sae-ron had been in a romantic relationship for six years, beginning in 2015 when she was still a minor. They reportedly submitted a collection of photos, letters, and messages to the controversial YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute, also known as Hoverlab, as supposed evidence of the relationship. Kim Sae-ron's DUI incident resurfaces The allegations are tied to a previous incident involving Kim Sae-ron's DUI accident, which led to a 700 million KRW (~510,000 USD) penalty fee dispute between her and Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist. What began as a financial issue has now escalated into a public battle over the truth surrounding their alleged relationship. Kim Soo-hyun's public denial In March, Kim Soo-hyun emotionally addressed the controversy at a press conference, firmly denying the allegations. "I did not date her while she was a minor. The accusation that my rejection or pressure from my agency led to her tragic decision is entirely false," he said, visibly distressed. Following his statement, the actor took legal action, filing both civil and criminal lawsuits against the late actress's family and Hoverlab CEO Kim Sae Ui, seeking 12 billion KRW (approximately 8.7 million USD) in damages.
India Today
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Kim Soo-hyun row: Actor hits back, files new lawsuit against Kim Sae-ron's family
Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun filed a lawsuit against Kim Se-eui, CEO of the YouTube channel Hoverlab, and Kim Sae-ron's family after being targeted by false claims and fabricated Partners, the legal representative of the 'Queen of Tears' actor and his agency, announced on May 9 that they will be taking legal action against Kim Se-ui and the bereaved families of late actor Kim per Soompi, the official statement stated, "Gold Medalist and actor Kim Soo-hyun have additionally filed a lawsuit and indictment against Kim Se-ui, the operator of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and violating the Act on Promotion of Information and the bereaved family of the late actor Kim Sae-ron on charges for violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, respectively." The statement further added how Kim Se-ui disseminated false information about the actor based on viral recordings and photos on the added, 'Kim Se-ui randomly distributed absurd false information about Kim Soo-hyun based on forged recordings and photos downloaded from the Internet, which is a serious criminal act incomparable to the crimes Kim Se-ui has committed so far.'advertisementThe statement added, 'Gold medalist and actor Kim Soo-hyun will quickly file additional complaints and accusations against Kim Se-ui and the bereaved family of Kim Sae-ron, and will do their best to punish them in accordance with laws and principles.'Earlier, Garosero and Kim Sae-ron's family attorney held a press conference where they presented an audio recording as alleged evidence against Kim soo-hyun, claiming the voice discussing a sexual relationship belonged to Kim Sae-ron. They claimed it was a conversation between the late actor and a man allegedly Kim Se-ui on May 7 at 2:00 pm audio file stated that "actor Soo-hyun and Sae-ron dated since middle school, and the late actor had sexual relations for the first time during winter vacation of her second year of middle school, and there is a recording file to support this.' It also added that "Soo-hyun offered 4 billion won to the informant who provided the recording file and tried to kill the informant by sending two hitmen when the informant refused."According to South Korean law, making and spreading false accusations against an individual is considered a criminal offence and is punishable under the Stalking Punishment Act.
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Late Kim Sae-ron's family lodges complaint against Kim Soo-hyun over child welfare violations
The family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against actor Kim Soo-hyun, accusing him of violating the Child Welfare Act and making false accusations. Bu Ji-seok, the family's legal representative, discussed this latest legal action during a press conference in Seoul earlier in the day, reiterating the late actress's previous claims that she had been romantically involved with the actor starting when she was in her second year of middle school. Kim Soo-hyun has strongly denied this claim. At the conference, a recording was played of what the family claimed was a conversation between the late actress and an acquaintance. In the recording, the acquaintance's voice was revoiced by another person to protect his privacy. The recording was presented as evidence to corroborate her claims that she dated the actor for six years and that their relationship ended after she went to university. After the conference, Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, strongly disputed the authenticity of the file, saying it was "completely fabricated." It further alleged that it "appeared to have been created using artificial intelligence." The agency warned it would take legal action for defamation, asserting that this was an attempt to damage the actor's reputation "based on forged evidence." This latest legal action from the family came after Kim Soo-hyun himself took legal steps. Late last month, the actor filed a second stalking lawsuit against Kim Se-ui, operator of the YouTube channel Hoverlab that first raised the underage dating allegations. This was in addition to an initial stalking lawsuit he had filed against Kim on April 2. Previously, the actor had also filed legal complaints against the YouTuber and the actress's family for releasing a photo of him without trousers and threatening him. He is also seeking 12 billion won ($8.14 million) in damages in relation to those complaints. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
22-04-2025
- Korea Herald
Police express regret for 'misunderstanding' over Tzuyang stalking case
YouTuber says police did not consider her a victim The Korean National Police Agency on Monday addressed the recent reassignment of investigators handling allegations made by YouTuber Tzuyang that she is being stalked by an independent journalist, saying there had been a misunderstanding on the part of the alleged victim. Tzuyang, whose real name is Park Jeong-won, recently accused police of unfairly conducting the stalking investigation of Kim Se-eui, the operator of the far-right YouTube channel Hoverlab who has made multiple unconfirmed claims about Park's personal life. Park has sought criminal charges against Kim for defamation and stalking. Police in February decided not to forward the case to prosecutors, citing a lack of evidence, but the prosecution ordered a supplementary investigation on the matter after Park challenged the decision. Park appeared at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station for questioning on April 16, but refused the probe and left just 40 minutes later, with her attorney Kim Tae-yeon saying police did not conduct a fair and neutral investigation based on objective facts. Park alleged police "did not appear to regard her as a victim, with no intent to protect her." "It is not our place to discuss the attitude of Tzuyang, but we do express regrets over the controversy involving the two sides, and there has been a misunderstanding. ... (Park) was concerned over fairness of the investigation, and we reassigned (new investigators) to address this and for a comprehensive assessment on the case," KNPA officials said in a press briefing. Park accepted the reassignment. Park, one of the most popular online personalities here with nearly 12 million subscribers on her YouTube channel, has been involved in a legal battle over what she has described as Kim's distribution of misinformation about her and her acquaintances. The legal proceedings are related to the 2024 revelation via Kim's channel about blackmail against Park, in which YouTubers conspired with Park's ex-boyfriend to extort cash from her in exchange for not revealing her past employment as a host at a bar. Park said that her work at the bar was due to violence and coercion by her then-boyfriend. A February ruling by the Suwon District Court found them guilty of blackmail, with the ex-boyfriend and YouTuber Goo Je Yeok — whose real name is Lee Jun-hee — receiving a prison term, while the other three were slapped with suspended terms and a fine. All of them have since appealed the ruling. But Kim's channel claimed that Park's explanation of the case was false, making new allegations of supposed tax evasion.
South China Morning Post
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun files US$8.2 million lawsuit against Kim Sae-ron's family
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun's legal team has filed a lawsuit against the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron as well as the operators of YouTube channel Hoverlab. Advertisement The Seoul Central District Court registered the civil suit filed by the K-drama star's lawyers and assigned a case number to it on Monday, according to The Korea Times newspaper. In the complaint, Kim's team is seeking 12 billion won (US$8.2 million) in damages against the deceased's family, an unidentified person claiming to be her aunt and the operators of Hoverlab, also known as Garo Sero Yeonguso or Garo Sero Research Institute. Part of the evidence filed includes forensic analysis reports stating that the 2016 and 2018 KakaoTalk messages released by Kim Sae-ron's side were not exchanged with the same individual. As the claims exceed 500 million won, the case is expected to be heard by a three-judge civil panel. Advertisement The head of Kim Soo-hyun's legal team, lawyer Kim Jong-bok of law firm LKB & Partners, said on Monday that they had also reported those involved to the authorities for defamation and violation of the information protection act.
