On the 15th, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, announced, "Recently, malicious posts, comments, and false information targeting our artist Kim Soo-hyun have been recklessly posted and spread online. These baseless speculative posts and unverified claims are being repeatedly shared, misleading the public and damaging the artist's reputation."
The agency stated, "Malicious slander, spreading false information, personal attacks, and sexual harassment rampant on online communities and social media should not be taken lightly as they constitute criminal acts. Based on active reports from fans and our own monitoring, we filed a complaint with investigative authorities on the 14th for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act and insult under the Criminal Act."
The agency further explained, "The behavior of 'cyber wreckers' who exploit anonymity to create fake news and cyberbullying videos and shorts is also severe. As the identities of these cyber wreckers are being revealed and legal actions are being taken, we will also respond strongly by collaborating with international legal representatives against overseas platforms like YouTube and X (formerly Twitter)."
They added, "We plan to continue filing additional lawsuits against malicious posts that defame our artist's reputation, and we will do our utmost to protect the artist's rights through strong legal measures against clear criminal acts."
Previously, the family of the late Kim Sae-ron, along with the YouTube channel 'Hover Lab,' claimed that Kim Soo-hyun dated the deceased when she was a minor and that she suffered due to debt pressure from her former agency, Gold Medalist. In response, Kim Soo-hyun clarified that he dated her when she was an adult and denied any debt pressure from the former agency. Kim Soo-hyun's team has filed a defamation lawsuit against the deceased's family and the operators of 'Hover Lab,' seeking damages of approximately 12 billion won. They have also filed charges against the operators for criminal intimidation and violation of the Stalking Punishment Act.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)