In a desperate attempt to salvage his already tarnished reputation and his agency’s name, Kim Soo Hyun turned up for an emergency press conference on March 31. Tearfully addressing allegations that he dated the late Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor, the K-drama star attempted to rebut the narrative growing against him.
“It feels like too many people are suffering because of me. I am sorry,” he said during the press conference, which did not allow any questions from reporters. Without directly addressing Kim Sae Ron, whose late February death was ruled a suicide, the Queen of Tears actor consistently referred to her as “the deceased,” he added, “It pains me to think that even the deceased may not be able to rest in peace.”
Firmly denying that he dated the Bloodhounds actress when she was underage, he said at the press conference, “The late Kim Sae Ron and I dated for a year, five years ago—four years before ‘Queen of Tears’ aired. At that time, I denied our relationship.” He maintained, “Outside of being actors, we were just like any other couple,” finally admitting to the his relationship with the late actress.
Kim Soo Hyun’s agency faces financial crisis
In light of its biggest star’s controversy, Gold Medalist is believed to be headed towards its financial collapse, per K-media outlet Nate. Internal sources to the news outlet have seemingly confirmed that the company is facing its worst crisis since it was founded in 2019.
Industry insiders firmly believe that Kim Soo Hyun’s sudden press conference wasn’t just planned as a measure to rebut his controversies and allegations dragging his name through the mud. It’s also being seen as a much-needed ploy to rescue the South Korean agency from falling off its already broken ivory tower and potential bankruptcy.
The clutching of fists by Kim soo Hyun shows that he’s angry, he has always been in control of situations but he’s now helpless, he’s trying to save himself but it has gone way beyond him
Well done to Garosero and Kim sae ron’s family for exposing him pic.twitter.com/FhqeykbiS5
— Nalaa (@Laika1066198) March 31, 2025
Kim Soo Hyun’s heartbroken countenance at the emergency event is being viewed as a sign of urgency as Gold Medalist can’t further delay salvaging its own image. The South Korean entertainment company also represents K-drama talents such as My Dearest Nemesis’ Choi Hyun Wook, Study Group’s Lee Jong Hyun, Business Proposal’s Seol In Ah, and Hierarchy’s Lee Chae Min.
An M&M expert well-acquainted with Gold Medalist’s reported crisis stated, “Gold Medalist used to maintain a surplus of 2 to 3 billion KRW (approximately $1,360,000 to $2,040,000) in company accounts, but that’s no longer the case. Over 20 of Kim Soo Hyun’s endorsements have been pulled. Although few advertisers have demanded penalties, the partial refunds for prepaid model fees, cancellation of scheduled events, and rising fixed costs have severely depleted the company’s finances.”
As of now, all the chatter floating around the company potentially inching closer to bankruptcy has not been officially confirmed. A financial industry source also weighed in, “The company reportedly needed to secure around 6 billion KRW (approximately $4,080,000) before the press conference. I’ve also heard they’ve halted services from an outsourced cleaning company. If that’s true, restructuring among staff might be next.”
At the press conference, Kim broke down and reiterated, “I cannot admit to something I didn’t do. I can no longer stand by while my family and company staff suffer because of me.”
Is Kim Soo Hyun’s Knock-Off K-drama cancelled?
Despite having earned a brand boost after Queen of Tears, Soo Hyun instantly faced boycott calls in the early days of the controversy. His high-budget Disney+ K-drama Knock-Off has since been dealt with an uncertain release plan even though officials previously stated that the production for its second season would resume as scheduled.
Knock-Off and the actor’s attachment to the drama was initially announced during his record-breaking 2024 tvN series’ broadcast. Knock-Off Season 1, co-starring Jo Bo Ah, was set to release in the first half of 2025. But with Kim’s reputation on the online, the Disney+ K-drama, which has an estimated production budget of 60 billion KRW (approx 41 million USD),now reportedly has no release schedule.
reporter: can you tell me when and where you first met? I think that’ll be okay? please tell me when and where you first met.
Kim Soohyun just walks off 💀 hats off to the reporter for asking the question even when questions were not allowed to be asked pic.twitter.com/lALTnh16PJ
— ♡ (@9131film) March 31, 2025
This weekend, Disney+ reportedly emailed multiple users, responding to queries about Knock-Off, stating, “‘Knock-Off’ is not on the current release schedule for Disney+.” On March 21, a Disney+ spokesperson had established that the drama’s premiere had been halted “after careful consideration.” It was originally billed to release after Park Eun Bin-starrer Hyperknife, but not things look seriously uncertain.
Soo Hyun’s per-episode fee for the yet to be released series is estimated between 500 million to 800 million KRW. It brings the total for the eight-episode season to over 5 billion KRW.
Kim Soo Hyun dating allegations: How his agency responded
Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, also previously highlighted that Kim Soo Hyun only dated Kim Sae Ron when she became a legal adult, mapping out their relationship timeline “from the summer of 2019… until the fall of 2020.” YouTube channel HoverLab, on the other hand, has produced alleged proof of intimate exchanges between the two, insisting that their highly contested and possibly ill-timed romance began when she was underage.
The It’s Okay Not to Be Okay actor initially denied any and all dating allegations. As more and more with presumed proof, including letters he sent to Sae Ron during his mandatory military service, of his alleged interactions with her poured out, he altered his statement, saying they only dated for a year.
Kim Sae Ron’s family also held a press conference
More than 13 million viewers in China tuned in for the tearful statement. With the Queen of Tears star now being dubbed the ‘King of Tears’ in light of the recent press conference, netizens have only doubled down on branding him a “groomer” and “pedophile.”
In addition to Kim Soo Hyun’s press conference, Kim Sae Ron’s family held one last week. Accusing the K-drama actor of lying, they released KakaoTalk messages from 2016, claiming that he and the Bloodhounds star began their romantic relationship since she was in her second year of middle school. The chat logs suggest that they dated for six years rather than a year as Soo Hyun and his agency has been insisting.
Kim Soo Hyun sues Kim Sae Ron’s family, YouTube channel
The Heirs actor slammed these claims as “false testimony” and “fabricated evidence” during his own press conference, per The Korea Times. The award-winning K-drama star, who was once billed as one of the highest paid South Korean actors, has even filed a 12 billion won (approx $12,240,000) lawsuit against Kim Sae Ron’s family, an unnamed aunt and the operator YouTube channel HoverLab (or Garosero Research Institute).