In a dramatic new development, handwritten letters penned by top actor Kim Soo-hyun during his mandatory military service have been made public. His legal team states the letters offer definitive proof that he was not involved with the late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor, countering months of damaging online speculation.
The actor’s lawyer, Ko Sang-rok, released excerpts from the letters on September 30, explaining the move was necessary “to restore the actor’s damaged reputation and correct distorted claims.” The 36-year-old star has been embroiled in a high-profile controversy following accusations that he had an inappropriate, long-term relationship with Kim Sae-ron, who passed away earlier this year.
Actor Kim Soo-hyun has released personal letters from his military service to defend his reputation.
Letters Reveal a Different Relationship
The controversy was ignited by the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute (Hoverlab), which alleged the two had dated for six years, beginning when Kim Sae-ron was only 15. Kim Soo-hyun’s lawyer firmly refutes this timeline. According to Ko, the two actors began dating in the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae-ron had legally become an adult, and their relationship lasted into 2020. He asserts that all photos released by Hoverlab were taken during this period.
Crucially, Ko revealed that from 2016 through the spring of 2019—a period that covers Kim Soo-hyun’s entire military service—the actor was in a serious relationship with a different woman. His diary entries from that time evolved into a series of deeply personal letters to this other girlfriend.
“From the time he was assigned to his unit, the diary entries turned into letters sharing his daily life and feelings with his partner,” Ko stated. “From then until his discharge in spring 2019, around 150 diary-style letters were written.”
Excerpts from these affectionate letters include passages like:
- “I really want to write your name, but I can’t because I’m such a troublemaking soldier… I really want to say your name. I love you.”
- “As always, I want to hear your voice, and when I hear it, I want to see you and hold you… I love you, as always.”
- “Every day I feel disillusioned in the barracks, but one thing is certain: I think I’m treating her better than I did before enlistment… I’m focusing only on her, caring for her, wanting her, waiting for her.”
Ko also addressed another letter released by Hoverlab, which they claimed was written to Kim Sae-ron, stating it was not a romantic correspondence but “more like a reflective essay about daily military life.”
The controversy involves allegations about Kim Soo-hyun’s relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron.
An Escalating Battle Over Truth and Reputation
The scandal began in March, shortly after Kim Sae-ron’s death. While Kim Soo-hyun acknowledged a past relationship, he has vehemently denied it began when she was underage and has since filed defamation lawsuits against both Hoverlab and members of the late actress’s family for spreading false information.
The situation escalated further when Hoverlab and the family released audio recordings, purported to be conversations between Kim Sae-ron and a friend, which suggested the relationship began in her middle school years. Kim Soo-hyun’s legal team has dismissed these recordings as “AI-generated fabrications.”
The public release of these intimate military letters represents Kim Soo-hyun’s most compelling evidence to date in his fight to clear his name. The case has become a stark example of the complex intersection of celebrity scandals, online misinformation, privacy rights, and the ethics of posthumous accusations in South Korea.
