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| Late Kim Sae-ron / Photo=DB |
On March 14, New Daily reported that the family had planned to attend a group screening of Kim’s final film, We Are Every Day, at Cheongdam Cine City CGV in Gangnam, Seoul. A few days before the event, however, one family member attempted suicide at home and was unable to attend.
A close friend familiar with the family’s situation told the outlet that the family has a single request of actor Kim Soo-hyun: that he acknowledge the facts and offer a sincere apology to the deceased. Instead, the friend said, Kim and his legal team are accusing the family of spreading falsehoods with fabricated evidence, which has inflicted further, unbearable pain.
The friend added that two years ago, when Kim Soo-hyun denied the relationship, the deceased felt her very existence had been erased. She endured more suffering during the process of repaying accident-related costs to Goldmedalist, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency. “No amount of apologies would be enough,” the friend said, “yet they are now trying to cast the family as criminals. It’s staggering.”
The source also said the family has made multiple suicide attempts and described the situation as extremely serious. They appealed for people to stop attacking and insulting the family both online and offline immediately.
Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Feb. 16 last year — the same day actor Kim Soo-hyun turned 37.
In March last year, the family told the YouTube channel GaroSero Research Institute that Kim had been in a five-year relationship with Kim Soo-hyun beginning when she was 15 in 2016, and they demanded a public apology.
The family also said that after Kim’s May 2022 drunk-driving incident, her former agency — Goldmedalist, which also represents Kim Soo-hyun — demanded a breach penalty of 700 million KRW (about $525,000).
Kim Soo-hyun’s camp has disputed that timeline, saying the two dated from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, when she was an adult. Kim has filed a lawsuit seeking 12 billion KRW (about $9,000,000) in damages against the family and GaroSero Research Institute. The family has countersued Kim Soo-hyun, accusing him of violating the Child Welfare Act and of making false accusations.
※ If you are experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts, or other serious emotional distress, or if someone you care about is struggling, professional help is available 24 hours a day. Call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at ☎109 or use online counseling through Madlan (www.129.go.kr/109/etc/madlan).
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung ent@stoo.com]
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