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South Korean Actor Kim Soo-Hyun Denies Underage Dating Accusation

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)
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South Korean Actor Kim Soo-Hyun Denies Underage Dating Accusation

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun sheds tears during a press conference at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, 31 March 2025, to deny underage dating allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron and offer an apology for causing controversy. (EPA/Yonhap)

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun on Monday denied allegations that he dated the actress Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, breaking down in tears as he said he could not "admit what is not true."

Brands including Prada have cut ties with the actor amid the controversy over his relationship with Kim Sae-ron, who was found dead in February in a suspected suicide. She was 24.

The 37-year-old Kim said he dated Kim Sae-ron five years ago for about a year, but not when she was underage. He said a YouTube expose released earlier this month cited testimonies and evidence that were false, including screenshots of messages that could not be from the actress.

Kim Sae-ron was born in July 2000. The age of consent in South Korea is 16.

"I did not date the deceased when she was a minor. And it is also not true that the deceased made a tragic choice because of me turning a blind eye," Kim told a press conference on Monday, alluding to claims that their relationship led to her suicide.

Lawyers representing Kim Soo-hyun and his agency said on Monday they had sued people involved in the YouTube expose for a total of 12 billion won ($8.15 million) in damages, and reported them to the authorities for defamation and violation of the information protection act.

A lawyer representing the relatives of Kim Sae-ron could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kim Sae-ron was one of South Korea's most promising actresses until her career took a hit after a drunk driving incident in 2022.

Kim Soo-hyun rose to fame in South Korea and China over his role in hit South Korean drama series "My Love from the Star" and "Queen of Tears".

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‘Sinners’ Bites Off Phenomenal 2nd Weekend as 20-year-old Star Wars Movie Takes 2nd Place

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
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‘Sinners’ Bites Off Phenomenal 2nd Weekend as 20-year-old Star Wars Movie Takes 2nd Place

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Horror movies are often one-week wonders at the box office, but Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is defying the odds and proving to be true event cinema.
In its second weekend in theaters, “Sinners” earned $45 million in ticket sales from theaters in the US and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. That’s down a miniscule 6% from its Easter holiday launch, the smallest drop in any genre since “Avatar” in 2009. Worldwide, “Sinners” has now made $161.6 million.
For the industry, the showing proves the film's reach has broadened beyond horror fans to mainstream audiences wanting to see what the hype is about. Last weekend, men made up 56% of the audience. This weekend, the gender divide narrowed to 50/50. Premium large format showings, like the 70mm IMAX screens, are also a big draw. IMAX screens worldwide accounted for some 21% of the second weekend globally, a nearly 9% increase from last weekend.
The original ensemble movie, starring Michael B. Jordan as twins, rode into theaters on a wave of great reviews. And, to be fair, “Sinners” isn’t simply a horror film: It blends elements of drama, action and musical into its southern gothic milieu, The Associated Press reported.
“That’s one of the lowest second weekend holds for an overperforming wide release ever,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’s an absolute phenomenon."
Hollywood expects significant drop off in a movie's second week of release. Even a 50% dip is considered a solid number, baked into the movie math. When it's anything less than that, it's notable.
“You can buy a great opening weekend with marketing, but if a movie doesn’t have the goods, it’ll drop off," Dergarabedian said. “There's no greater barometer of success than a second weekend hold like this."
The film was produced by Coogler’s Proximity Media and Warner Bros., which handled the theatrical release. After some disappointments earlier in the year, it's the second major win for the studio after “A Minecraft Movie” helped energize the box office earlier this month.
“Sinners” easily topped the biggest new competition this week: “The Accountant 2,” a sequel starring Ben Affleck and released by Amazon MGM Studios, which opened in third place with an estimated $24.5 million in its first weekend. Gavin O'Connor directed the film, which played in 3,610 theaters in North America. Audiences gave it a promising A- CinemaScore.
The film that beat “The Accountant 2” for second place was a 20-year-old Star Wars movie: “Revenge of the Sith.” The anniversary re-release took in an estimated $25.2 million over the weekend, with many sellouts reported, more than doubling last year’s release of “The Phantom Menace.” Internationally, it earned $17 million from 34 territories, giving it a $42.2 million global weekend. It's one of the top grossing re-releases ever.
“A Minecraft Movie” landed in fourth place with $22.7 million, bringing its domestic total to around $380 million.
The scary video game adaptation “Until Dawn” also opened this weekend to an estimated $8 million, rounding out the top five. Sony Pictures released the film, starring Ella Rubin and Michael Cimino, which has earned $18.1 million globally.
The “Minecraft” and “Sinners” wins have meant a huge boost for the April box office, which is up 102% from April 2024. The annual box office is also up over 10% from last year after running at a double-digit deficit in March. And this is all happening right before the industry’s summer movie season kicks off on May 2 with Disney’s “Thunderbolts(asterisk).”
“There cannot be a better opening act for the summer movie season than this weekend,” Dergarabedian said.