Kim Soo-hyun denies dating Kim Sae-ron as minor

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun became emotional as he addressed, for the first time, the ongoing controversy involving him and the late actress Kim Sae-ron during a press conference on Monday.

"Firstly, I am sorry. Because of me, so many people are suffering. And I also feel sorry that the late actor [Kim Sae-ron] isn't able to rest in peace," Kim said, as translated by Korea JoongAng Daily.

The actor firmly denied allegations that he had dated Sae-ron when she was a minor.

"I never dated [Kim Sae-ron] when she was a minor… We dated with good feelings, and after some time, we broke up. After that, we were no longer in contact like before. Just like any other couple, reaching out after a breakup is a very cautious matter," he stated.

Kim also responded to accusations from Sae-ron’s family, who recently disclosed KakaoTalk conversations between the two during a press conference.

"They are framing me as a pedophile, accusing me of grooming based on KakaoTalk chats from 2016. However, the person in the 2016 chats is different from the one in the 2018 chats," Kim asserted.

To prove this, he said he had requested an official analysis of the chat logs revealed by Sae-ron's family from 2016, 2018, and this year.

"There is evidence that some photos, videos, and KakaoTalk messages have been manipulated and cleverly altered," he claimed.

While vowing to take responsibility for his actions, Kim emphasized that false accusations should not be accepted as fact.

"I will take action to thoroughly investigate the evidence that the family of the deceased is presenting as if they have verified it all," he said.

The actor admitted that he is fearful of further accusations, saying he dreads what might be revealed next and how it could be distorted to portray him as a criminal.