On March 27, 2025, Bu Ji-seok, the family's legal representative, held a press conference in Seoul to disclose these messages, asserting that the two were involved romantically when Kim Sae-ron was 17 years old.
The messages reveal exchanges where Kim Sae-ron sent heart emojis and affectionate sounds to Kim Soo-hyun, to which he responded with, "Do it for real later." In another conversation, Kim Soo-hyun expressed a desire to "hold you and fall asleep," with Kim Sae-ron replying, "Yeah, I'll let you do that."
These disclosures challenge previous statements from Kim Soo-hyun, who claimed their relationship began after Kim Sae-ron reached adulthood, Bu Ji-seok questioned the nature of their relationship during the press conference, asking, "If this was not a romantic relationship, then what kind of relationship was it? I want to ask Kim Soo-hyun directly."
Kim Sae-ron was found deceased at her home in Seoul on February 16. Following her passing, her family alleged through the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute that she had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for six years, starting in 2015 when she was 15 years old, Kim Soo-hyun's representatives have refuted these claims, stating that their relationship lasted from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after she had become an adult.
These revelations have led to significant repercussions for Kim Soo-hyun's career, Several brands, including Prada and South Korean cosmetic brand Dinto, have terminated their collaborations with the actor amid the controversy, Prada confirmed the mutual end of their collaboration without further details, while Dinto cited substantial grounds that made the continuation of their advertising contract unfeasible, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Goldmedalist, has denied the claims, stating that the two were not in a relationship during Kim Sae-ron's minor years and that Kim Soo-hyun has been unfairly linked to her death.
- KSH: I miss you I miss you
- KSR: Do it more
- KSH: I miss you ㅎㅎ
- KSR: I’m going back to filming. I’ll be back soon.
- KSH: Come back soon, hehe.
- KSR: [heart emoticon] *kissing sound*
- KSH: Do it for real later hehe. Ah, is this not allowed too?
- KSR: Nah, it isn’t. I’ll do it.
- KSR: Do you miss me or not?
- KSH: You? What do you think – do I miss you or not?
- KSR: How would I know! If you don’t tell me, I don’t know.
- KSH: Cute of you to ask that.
- KSR: So do you miss me or not?
- KSR: You’ never wake up.
- KSH: Yeah, I wouldn’t know, even if you kissed me.
- KSR: So you wouldn’t notice even if I did it a few times. Yay.
- KSH: When can I hold you and fall asleep? I think I’d be able to sleep really well then.
- KSR: Yeah, I’ll let you do that.
