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MANILA, Philippines — Controversial K-drama actor Kim Soo-hyun finally broke his silence and emotionally addressed the ongoing scandal about his relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron.
On Monday, Soo-hyun faced members of the Korean press with his legal representatives from law firm LKB & Partners.
Controversial K-drama actor Kim Soo-hyun YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT/SBSNEWS8
Wearing an all-black suit, he began saying as translated to English by South Korean newspaper "JoongAng Daily," "Firstly, I am sorry. Because of me, I think so many people are suffering. And also I feel sorry that the late actor [Kim Sae-ron] isn't able to rest in peace. I consider myself a coward. I have always been too preoccupied with holding on to what I have. I couldn't even trust the goodwill that came my way, always fearing loss, harm and running away, denying everything. That's why it took me so long to stand here today."
The 37-year-old actor admitted to being in a relationship with Sae-ron for one year in 2020 but kept it a secret because of his booming career. He also apologized for having initially denied the relationship when the latter uploaded a selfie of them.
"After I became an actor, I received so much love. I was a person who didn't start with much, but I became a person who had so much to protect. Whenever there was a situation and the choice for Kim Soo-hyun as a human being and Kim Soo-hyun as a celebrity came up, I think I always chose in favor of the celebrity," Soo-hyun continued.
According to him, he kept the relationship quite as he was trying to protect the people around him.
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"When 'Queen of Tears' was airing, I had so much to protect as its lead actor. What would have happened if I had admitted to a yearlong relationship. What would happen to the actors, the staff who were working overnight and the production team who had all everything staked on that project. What would happen to our agency's employees.
"I am willing to receive any criticism that say I am selfish and cowardly. I have a lot of worries, even at this moment. I am anxious," he added.
Soo-hyun then denied YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute's allegation that he and Sae-ron dated when she was still a minor using text messages sent between the two as evidence.
"I never dated [Kim Sae-ron] when she was a minor. Except for the fact that both of us were actors, our relationship was just like that of any other ordinary couple."
The actor also denied claims that Sae-ron died to pressure from him or his agency, Gold Medalist, over a debt. Allegations previously surfaced that the late actress was forced to pay a 700 million KRW debt, leading her to take her own life.
"We dated with good feelings and after some time, we broke up. After that, we weren't able to contact each other like we used to. Just like any other couple, contacting a lover after breaking up is a very cautious thing," he said.
He added that he couldn't' reach out to Sae-ron even after her DUI accident. He admitted that as they were already living separate lives, he didn't know what to say.
"But the family of the late actor, just because I am the ex-boyfriend of the late actor, is asserting that I pushed her to death. They are demanding me to confess to something that I didn't do," Soo-hyun revealed.
The actor also claimed that the previously revealed KakaoTalk messages had been doctored.
"I will take whatever criticism about my choices. But that does not mean everything becomes fact. I will take action to thoroughly investigate the evidence that the family of the deceased are bringing as if they have verified it all. If all the evidence the family holds is true, I hope they can be verified legally after a thorough investigation. I have people that I am responsible for, those who are looking to me. I am seeing them in pain and agony everyday. I am scared what they will reveal today and distort to make me a killer," he continued.
In ending, Soo-hyun said he will not ask for trust but will prove that he did not do anything to reach this point.
"I have done what I have done. I will take any criticism for that. But the things I haven't done, I haven't done. I want to clear my name. I will not ask for trust. I will prove it. Thank you," Kim Soo-hyun ended.
