Kim Sae-ron's Family to Sue YouTuber Lee Jin-ho Amid Kim Soo-hyun Dating Scandal

The family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron has decided to pursue legal action against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho, according to local outlet The Fact on March 16. Attorney Bu Ji-seok, who represents the bereaved family, said they plan to file a formal complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on March 17, accusing the content creator of defamation and invasion of privacy.

Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her Seoul apartment on February 16, at age 24, in what authorities treated as a suicide. Her family argues that a series of videos Lee posted between 2022 and 2024 went far beyond fair commentary, digging into her personal life and fueling public hostility that weighed heavily on her mental state in the years before her death. The first of the videos reportedly surfaced shortly after Kim's 2022 drunk-driving case; all four were quietly made private following her death.

Bu also pointed to a specific claim at the center of the dispute: whether Kim Sae-ron's relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun began in 2015, when she was a minor. The attorney said Lee's public rejection of that timeline as fabricated was itself false, sharpening tensions between the two camps. Lee, for his part, has denied any wrongdoing, saying in a February 19 video statement that he cross-checked his reporting with people close to the actress and with representatives from her agency before publishing.

The legal move lands in the middle of a broader firestorm surrounding Kim Soo-hyun, who has faced mounting allegations tied to his past relationship with Kim Sae-ron. Kim Sae-ron's family and the online channel Garosero have alleged the pair's relationship began when she was 15 and he was 27, releasing photos and messages they say support the claim. Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, initially denied any romance but later acknowledged the two dated between 2019 and 2020, when Kim Sae-ron was 19 to 20 and Kim Soo-hyun was 31 to 32, while rejecting claims involving a minor or accusations that the actor pressured her over a debt.

The fallout has extended well beyond the two camps' dueling statements. More than 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on South Korea's National Assembly to pass legislation curbing YouTubers who invade celebrities' privacy for content, and brands including Prada and Dinto have already cut ties with Kim Soo-hyun. The planned lawsuit against Lee Jin-ho marks the latest chapter in a scandal that has gripped the Korean entertainment industry and reignited debate over online content creators' accountability.