Kim Soo-hyun, South Korean actor, refutes claims of underage relationship

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has denied claims that he was in a relationship with actress Kim Sae -ron when she was just a teenager, breaking to tears when Kim Soo-hyun said that he was unable to "admit what is not true."

Brands such as Prada have removed ties to the actor following the underage dating allegations surrounding the relationship he has with Kim Sae-ron who died in February, in the aftermath of a suicide attempt. She was 24.

The 37-year-old Kim admitted to having a relationship with Kim Sae-ron approximately for a year however, she did not date her when she was a minor. He claimed that the YouTube publication in the last month included witnesses and evidence that were not true, and included pictures of messages that could not be the ones from Kim Sae-ron.

Kim Sae-ron's birth date was July 2000. The consent age for 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 spoke at a press conference on Monday, making reference to the claim that their relationship was the reason for her suspected suicide.

Attorneys for Kim Soo-hyun and his agency announced on Monday that they had filed a lawsuit against the people who were who were involved in the YouTube expose for a total amount of twelve billion won ($8.15 million) in damages. They also have reported them to the authorities for defamation as well as violation of the act on protection of information.

An attorney representing the family members of Kim Sae-ron was unable to immediately be reached to discuss the matter.

Kim Sae-ron was among the South Korean's most promising actresses until her career suffered following a drunken driving accident in 2022.

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

($1 = 1,472.6300 won)