Kim Soo Hyun And Lee Sa Rang’s “Real” Controversy Involving Sulli, And Why It Matters Now
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.
Actor Kim Soo Hyun is currently embroiled in a scandal involving the late actress Kim Sae Ron. According to Kim Sae Ron’s family, the two began dating when she was a minor. Recently, another late actress’s name began appearing in headlines because of her past connection to Kim Soo Hyun.
Sulli, an actress and former member of the girl group f(x), died on October 14, 2019, at the age of 25. The Seongnam Sujeong Police Station confirmed that her manner of death was suicide.
During her career, Sulli endured several controversies, including one involving Real. In 2017, Sulli and Kim Soo Hyun co-starred in this neo-noir action thriller film directed by Kim Soo Hyun’s relative, Lee Sa Rang. Lee Sa Rang is also the co-founder of Kim Soo Hyun’s agency GOLD MEDALIST, which has repeatedly denied the allegations that Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun began dating when the former was underage.
During promotions for the 19+ film, an official from the production revealed that Sulli would appear topless; “Sulli’s upper body will be exposed. She was acting without a body double or cover.” Sulli’s nude scene, which was a selling point for the film, was leaked almost immediately after Real hit theaters.
We are currently monitoring this on line to make sure we delete everything as soon as we confirm a leak. We are attempting to find out what happened since the movie just began airing today. We are not considering legal action as of yet but we will monitor the situation and how widespread this becomes first to check it out.
— CJ Entertainment
Real was a box office failure and was criticized for several reasons. According to some critics, the poorly executed plot, editing, and special effects didn’t warrant having such a high budget: ₩11.5 billion KRW (about $7.93 million USD). Lee Sa Rang was accused of being unqualified to direct the film, given that he was a first-time director and related to Kim Soo Hyun. Real‘s utilization of the female cast for racy content, such as sex scenes, also came under fire.
There are a few reasons why the controversy surrounding Real is relevant in 2025. One is that GOLD MEDALIST made a point of questioning the validity of Kim Sae Ron’s aunt’s claims based on the fact that she is not Kim Sae Ron’s blood relative, but rather a close family friend.
In the media, when someone is called an “aunt,” it generally refers to the mother’s sister. Whether the whistleblower is an actual relative or simply a close acquaintance will significantly impact public trust in the information shared through the media. However, during the press conference, the bereaved family was unclear about whether the whistleblower is truly a relative or just someone close to the family.
— GOLD MEDALIST
In response, netizens drew attention to Kim Soo Hyun’s own family tree. As previously mentioned, Kim Soo Hyun’s family tree includes GOLD MEDALIST co-founder Lee Sa Rang.
- “He said his half-brother was his cousin, LOL. Give me a break.”
- “Worry about your own family tree.”
- “But half-brother=cousin was okay? In the past. he introduced him as his cousin.”
Back in 2017, Dispatch bashed Real as a “family scheme” that would allow Kim Soo Hyun and director Lee Sa Rang to profit. GOLD MEDALIST has been accused of trying to extort money from Kim Sae Ron through penalty fees.
Furthermore, Sulli’s brother Choi Geon Hee began uploading cryptic posts allegedly directed at Kim Soo Hyun amid the actor’s controversy. “Kim-ssi, I have a lot to say, but I can’t,” he wrote in his first message. “You’re going to fall from your high position, so you better hold on tight.”
In his second post, Sulli’s brother slammed Kim Soo Hyun’s fans and wrote, “I won’t say anything because I don’t need to add to it. There will be plenty of others giving him a hard time.” “Him” is presumably Kim Soo Hyun. In another update, Choi Geon Hee wrote, “My life, your life, all of our lives are ‘Real,'” seemingly referencing Real.
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His latest message is also sparking speculation and fueling rumors about Kim Soo Hyun.
