[Sportschosun Reporter Lee Ji-hyun] Actor Kim Soo-hyun has received a police decision of no charges, or non-referral, in connection with allegations that he dated the late Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor. His legal representative, attorney Ko Sang-rok, said the ruling was significant, noting that "Kim Soo-hyun was effectively branded as a child sex offender over grooming allegations."
On the 30th, Ko Sang-rok said on his social networking service account that "this non-referral decision is important in the process of restoring Kim Soo-hyun's reputation."
He said the core issue in the case was the grooming allegation. Ko explained that "among the many allegations raised against Kim Soo-hyun in March last year, the most damaging was the so-called grooming claim." He added that the bereaved family's legal representative held a press conference and presented fabricated KakaoTalk messages from 2016, saying, "With this material, are you saying it was not a relationship but grooming?"
He continued, "That statement sent public opinion into a frenzy, and Kim Soo-hyun was effectively branded as a child sex offender in the eyes of the public." He argued that the case spread negatively overseas as well, making it the moment when Kim Soo-hyun's reputation suffered the greatest damage.
Ko also mentioned that the bereaved family later filed a complaint against Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act.
He said, "Police investigated the relationship between the two in full, including the period when the deceased was a minor, and found no basis for the allegations raised by the complainant, leading to a decision of no charges and non-referral."
He added, "Aside from fabricated materials and the complainant's unreliable claims, there was no objective evidence to support the allegations. In fact, the objective evidence contradicted their assertions." He stressed that "the grooming allegation was ultimately found to be groundless through an official criminal investigation."
He went on to say, "Following the indictment and detention of Kim Se-ui, Kim Soo-hyun has now been freed from the core allegation that has most severely constrained him." He added, "I hope people will now view Kim Soo-hyun based on objectively verified facts, not distorted images."
Meanwhile, the Seoul Seongdong Police Station said on the 29th that it had recently decided not to send Kim Soo-hyun to prosecutors on charges of violating the Child Welfare Act and making a false accusation.
The case began in May last year, when the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae-ron filed a complaint against Kim Soo-hyun, alleging that he had dated her since she was a minor and accusing him of violating the Child Welfare Act. At the time, the family released an audio recording from the deceased's lifetime and claimed it proved the relationship began during her teenage years, but Kim Soo-hyun's side countered that the recording had been fabricated using AI.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
