Kim Soo Hyun And Kim Sae Ron: All The People Romantically Connected To The Scandal
This article is part of our coverage of Kim Soo Hyun And Kim Sae Ron's Relationship. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.
On March 10, the aunt (a close family friend) of the late actress Kim Sae Ron blamed actor Kim Soo Hyun for her death in a damning exposé. The two allegedly dated for six years, beginning when Kim Sae Ron was 15 years old. Since then, the controversy has expanded to involve several other people who were allegedly involved in Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron’s love lives.
1. Kim Sae Ron’s Ex-Husband
On March 19, reporter Lee Jin Ho accused Kim Sae Ron’s family of hiding the fact that Kim Sae Ron had gotten married after her relationship with Kim Soo Hyun ended. Lee pointed to Kim Sae Ron’s deleted Instagram post from January, captioned “Marry,” that featured a mystery man.
The mystery man is Kim Sae Ron’s non-celebrity ex-husband, a businessman who lives in the United States. Lee also released voice recordings in which a woman, allegedly Kim Sae Ron, tells a previous agency staff member that she married her husband after he’d threatened her into doing so and having an abortion. “He kept subtly threatening me about it,” she explained. “He’s kinda insane.”
In one of Lee’s leaked audio recordings, Kim Sae Ron‘s alleged best friend said that the husband’s abuse–which included threats and physical assault–led to Kim Sae Ron’s death. Kim Sae Ron’s family has stated that they were unaware of the alleged marriage and abortion.
On March 25, Kim Sae Ron’s ex-husband released a statement through the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute. He claimed that he and Kim Sae Ron had a whirlwind romance that had ended as quickly as it began. They met in mid-to-late November 2024 and legally married on January 12, 2025. They later decided to divorce “due to the fact that we got married too quickly without serious consideration out of having fallen in love, as well as due to practical problems of a long-distance relationship, and differences in personalities.”
According to Kim Sae Ron’s ex-husband, Kim Sae Ron had never been pregnant with his child, he had not blackmailed her into marrying him, and their relationship had not been violent.
2. Kim Sae Ron’s Ex-Boyfriend, “K”
After the initial news about Kim Sae Ron’s ex-husband broke, her ex-boyfriend “K” held an exclusive interview with media outlet THE FACT. K’s name, Chan Hee, has been made known to the public due to THE FACT not editing out some of the personal information included in the evidence he provided.
K claimed that Kim Soo Hyun wasn’t to blame for Kim Sae Ron’s death; Kim Sae Ron’s ex-husband and her family were. K alleged that Kim Sae Ron received comfort and support from him during her marriage, which K told THE FACT was abusive. K said that Kim Sae Ron’s husband tried to cut off communication between her and K by taking her phone away and monitoring her, which caused her to self-harm. He also allegedly sent K threatening messages.
Kwon Young Chan, the head of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association, refuted K’s claims on behalf of Kim Sae Ron’s family.
They only dated for a month. Would someone really confide such deeply personal issues to someone they were with for such a short time? He says, ‘It wasn’t because of Kim Soo Hyun’ while simultaneously blaming her family—it doesn’t add up.
— Kwon Young Chan
Friend A, a friend who “basically lived with” Kim Sae Ron, also denied K’s claims and said that she suspects he had been threatened into turning against Kim Sae Ron. Kim Se Ui hinted that K was an idol contestant on Fan Pick.
I mean, I don’t think he’s a bad guy, based on what I know. He’s a quiet, introverted person… Like, when his phone conversation recording with director Kwak Tae Yong was leaked, he was terrified. So, I don’t think he’s the vile type. But seeing how he turned and wrote the statement and all… I have to suspect that either Kim Soo Hyun or Kwak Tae Yong threatened him and got to him. Like, I have reason to believe so.
— Friend “A”
3. Kim Soo Hyun’s “Concubines”
Another friend of Kim Sae Ron’s, Friend B, gave more insight into Kim Sae Ron’s romantic relationship with Kim Soo Hyun. He claimed that Kim Soo Hyun had cheated on Kim Sae Ron multiple times when she was a minor.
Friend B: Ah Im* held a lot of resentment toward Kim Soo Hyun. Think about it. He played her when she was a child. You know what Sae Ron always said? She said it was such a struggle keeping her place for six years. As the queen, per se… because he kept bringing in concubines.
*Kim Sae Ron had legally changed her name to Kim Ah Im.
Lee Jin Ho: Oh…
Friend B: But she put up with all of it because he promised to marry her.
A Korean news site, Vegan News, has since reported that two of these “concubines” were girl group members from rival groups. The names were redacted, but both are reportedly members of top-tier girl groups who are actively promoting. According to this report, one of these idols has previously had dating rumors with Kim Soo Hyun.
