South Korean actress Kim Sae-Ron was found dead at her residence in Seoul on February 16, her ex-boyfriend and superstar Kim Soo-Hyun's birthday. Since then, things have gone downhill for the K-drama star, who has been accused of grooming and dating the actress when she was a minor aged only 15. Kim Soo-Hyun got embroiled in the scandal after an explosive video was uploaded by Garoseyo Research Institute's YouTube channel on March 10. 

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But can Kim Soo-Hyun be prosecuted in South Korea? 

In the wake of the shocking allegations, experts have weighed in on potential legal consequences Kim Soo Hyun might face for dating a minor. While appearing on YTN’s ‘News Square 2 PM’, attorney Lee Go Eun explained the laws in South Korea in this regard.

Lee explained how potential criminal charges against the Queen of Tears star might get complicated by the timing of the alleged crime. 

Also read: Kim Sae Ron’s family demands apology from Kim Soo Hyun, sues YouTuber Lee Jin Ho for defamatory comments

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The current South Korean law around the age of consent and sexual abuse of minors was revised in May 2020. As per the revised law, engaging in sexual acts with a minor under 16 can constitute statutory rape or sexual misconduct.

Lee said the alleged crime happened in 2015 — when Kim Sae Ron was 15. If Kim Soo-Hyun’s offence is proven, the older version of the law would apply. Under that law, criminal charges required the minor to be under 13.

“The fact that they were in a relationship alone would not be sufficient for prosecution. Given that the previous law applies in this case, it would be difficult to establish criminal liability unless there is concrete evidence of sexual acts," Lee said.

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HoverLab’s explosive allegations, Soo-Hyun’s dodge

So the dating timeline here is crucial. The controversy intensified amid conflicting accounts of the dating timeline. YouTube channel HoverLab alleged that Kim Soo- Hyun began dating Kim Sae Ron in 2015 when he was 27 and she was 15.

Garoseyo, also known as HoverLab, claimed Soo Hyun began his six-year-long relationship with the late actress in 2015. In 2015 he was 27 and Kim Sae Ron was just 15.

To back their claim, HoverLab revealed a 2016 picture of Kim Soo-hyun kissing, Kim Sae Ron, a minor at the time, on her cheek.

The claim was earlier rubbished by Soo-Hyun’s agency Gold Medalist. But as ‘pieces of evidence’ including hitherto unseen photographs kept piling up, the company was cornered into accepting the relationship. However, Gold Medalist says that contrary to HoverLab’s explosive claim, the relationship occurred between the summer of 2019 and fall of 2020, after Kim Sae Ron had become an adult.

Amidst Hover Lab’s multiple bombshells, Soo-Hyun, one of South Korea’s highest-paid actors, was dropped from multiple brand deals like Prada, with his domestic and international goodwill taking a massive hit. 

Kim Sae Ron vs Gold Medallist

As the chatter about the alleged relationship blew up globally, Dispatch Korea reported about Kim Sae Ron’s strained relationship with her former agency, Gold Medalist.

The report said that in March 2024, Kim Soo-Hyun and Gold Medalist sent Kim Sae-Ron a legal notice pressuring her to repay 700 million won (approximately ₹4.19 crore) they paid on her behalf. 

At the time, Kim Sae-Ron was reportedly in heavy debt as her career went downhill after the infamous 2022 DUI incident. 

After the alleged pressure to repay the hefty amount, Kim Sae-ron sent messages to Kim Soo Hyun —  according to the screenshot released by HoverLab. 

Also read: Kim Soo Hyun- Kim Sae Ron dating controversy: Journalist who had first reported about their relationship died mysteriously soon after

 In the message, Sae Ron pleaded for more time to gather money to repay a debt. This led to the speculation that financial pressure was a major contributor to Kim Sae Ron’s death on February 16.

Later, Gold Medalist denied the allegations, saying the notice was just a step to comply with the legal regulations of the company. 

Gold Medallist also added that the company itself covered a significant portion of the debt.

“Gold Medallist worked with Kim Sae Ron to resolve various penalties related to her acting activities and compensation for merchants affected by the drunk driving incident after the accident. The total penalty amount due to the incident was approximately 1.014 billion won. During the process of determining the compensation amount, we made efforts to minimize Kim Sae Ron's burden. Through her various efforts to repay the debt, the remaining compensation amount was reduced to about 700 million won,” it said.

The agency also stressed that actor Kim Soo Hyun was never personally involved in the ordeal. 

"The statements that Kim Soo-hyun personally lent Kim Sae-ron money, or tried to get it back suddenly, are unfounded," the statement said.

While Kim Soo Hyun’s agency refuted the claims, HoverLab released another private photo of the star.

The alleged picture of Soo-Hyun showed him naked in Kim Sae-Ron’s kitchen, washing dishes.

Letter that opened a can of worms

During his military service, Soo-Hyun allegedly wrote a love letter dated 9 June 2018 to Sae-Ron. The letter recently surfaced online — in which Kim Soo Hyun expressed ‘his affection’ for the late actress, who was still a minor. 

Kim Soo Hyun’s agency addressed the letter, saying the actor sent the letter to his close acquaintances during his military service. The agency refuted the claims that the letter was sent between lovers.

Kim Sae Ron was found dead at her residence in Seoul. After initial investigation, Seongdong police called it a suicide.

The actress had stepped away from the limelight after her DUI incident in 2022 tarnished her public image. 

(With inputs from agencies)