The Queen of Tears fandom has been shaken to its core as star Kim Soo-hyun finds himself in the middle of a major controversy regarding the late actress Kim Sae-ron
Soo-hyun led the hit K-drama, which can be streamed on Netflix in the U.S., playing the charismatic Baek Hyun-woo, a Korean lawyer who is thrust into the spotlight after marrying the heiress to a major corporation, Hong Hae-in.
Kim Sae-ron was a former model and actor who tragically took her own life at the young age of 24 earlier this year.
Was Kim Soo-hyun Dating Kim Sae-ron?
There has been evidence suggesting Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were dating as far back as 2015, but those claims were only recently substantiated as Soo-hyun confirmed the pair were romantically involved at some point.
The rumor is that the pair dated for up to six years before parting ways in 2022, following Sae-ron's very public DUI controversy, which harmed both her and the people around her's reputation.
If that were the case, then Soo-Hyun would have been in a relationship with Sae-ron while she was still underage, and that is where these latest allegations come into play.
Kim Soo-hyun & Kim Sae-ron Controversy & Photo-Caused Scandal Recap
The reason that Queen of Tears fans are in a tizzy, has to do with new allegations being levied at Kim Soo-Hyun concerning fellow K-drama star Kim Sae-ron.
On March 10, 2025, a video was uploaded to YouTube by the Garosero Research Institute, featuring the late Sae-ron's aunt alleging that Soo-Hyun engaged in a romantic relationship with Sae-ron before she was of age.
According to the video, the Queen of Tears star and Sae-ron started dating as far back as 2015. This would mean that Soo-hyun would have been 27 at the time and Sae-ron only 15.
Part of the video included a scathing photo of Soo-hyun kissing Sae-ron on the cheek in public from several years ago.
The video claimed Soo-hyun and Sae-ron dated for several years before ultimately splitting up in 2022 following Sae-run's run-in with the law after being arrested and charged with a DUI.
The pair remained in contact, though, as Sae-Ron was reportedly in debt to Soo-hyun and his agency, GOLD MEDALIST.
Per the Garosero Research Institute, Soo-hyun's agency signed the late actress upon its founding and offered to pay upwards of $483,000 in damages after her DUI incident. This was reportedly done, at the time, without Sae-ron being required to pay it back.
That, however, reportedly changed over time, as in 2024, GOLD MEDALIST allegedly served Sae-ron notice that they wanted the money paid in full. Sae-ron is said to have tried to contact Soo-hyun in response to the notice but was unable to get in touch with the Queen of Tears star.
Unable to pay the sum back to Soo-hyun's business, Sae-ron's aunt claimed the late actress was struggling financially, so much so that she ultimately took her own life on February 16, 2025.
In the wake of the video, GOLD MEDALIST issues a public statement, saying, "These malicious accusations against the company and Kim Soo-hyun are completely untrue and unacceptable":
"We would like to issue an official statement regarding the YouTube broadcast by Garosero Research Institute concerning actor Kim Soo Hyun.
All claims made by Garosero Research Institute regarding Kim Soo Hyun through their YouTube broadcast are false. They alleged that the company and Kim Soo Hyun, alongside YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, harassed the late actress Kim Sae Ron. Additionally, they claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a romantic relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron since she was 15, that the company mishandled the situation following her DUI incident, and even that one of our managers was personally acquainted with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho. These malicious accusations against the company and Kim Soo-hyun are completely untrue and unacceptable. We are currently looking into pursuing the strongest possible legal action against Garosero Research Institute for spreading false information."
The agency added that it is "deeply saddened by the passing of the late Kim Sae-ron:"
"GOLD MEDALIST is deeply saddened by the passing of the late Kim Sae-ron, who was once part of the agency, and we mourn her loss. However, the dissemination of such false information by Garosero Research Institute mirrors the very ‘cyber wrecking’ that the late Kim Sae-ron suffered from during her lifetime. These actions are solely for personal gain of the YouTuber, defaming both the company and the deceased. We will respond to these allegations with zero tolerance.
We earnestly request that these baseless falsehoods are not further spread, amplified, or reproduced."
Seo Yea-ji Responds to Kim Soo-hyun Controversy
Another layer to the Kim Soo-hyun controversy has to do with his fellow Korean actress, Seo Yea-ji. She has been roped into the online drama, as fans have started to come at her following allegations Soo-hyun had dated Kim Sae-ron from 2015 to 2022.
Yea-ji had been rumored to have dated Soo-hyun as well, with some believing it may have been at the same time as his relationship with Sae-ron.
In response to fans prodding the actress on social media asking her about the recent controversy, Yae-ji issued a public statment via her public fan page (as translated by GMA Network).
"To my beloved yeye, as a human being, I can't help but feel overwhelmed, overburdened, tired, sad, and suffocated," she posited, saying she "[has] no personal relations whatsoever with that person or his older brother:"
"To my beloved yeye, as a human being, I can't help but feel overwhelmed, overburdened, tired, sad, and suffocated. I tried to suppress it all. But before I knew it, I was typing a reply to the comments and then quickly deleting them. Just please stop. I swear I have no personal relations whatsoever with that person or his older brother. I don't know why I have to explain any of this."
All three of Yea-Ji, Soo-hyun, and Sea-ron were signed to Soo-hyun's GOLD MEDALIST agency at some point. However, Sea-ron left in 2022 and Yea-ji in 2023.
Both Yea-ji's potential past involvement with Soo-hyun and the current controversy surrounding the actor have not been proven and remain purely allegations at this time.
Queen of Tears is streaming now on Netflix.
