Lee Jin-ho Alleges Kim Sae-ron Dated Two Celebrities in 2016 — Was Kim Soo-hyun Ever Involved?
Entertainment YouTuber and former reporter Lee Jin-ho has reignited controversy surrounding actress Kim Sae-ron’s rumored romance with actor Kim Soo-hyun. While forensic evidence has been touted as key to unraveling the truth, it has instead added fuel to the confusion — with signs pointing toward the possibility that another celebrity may have been involved instead.
The Scandal: A Timeline of Rumors and Reactions
The initial allegations stemmed from Kim Se-ui, the head of the Garo Sero Research Institute, who claimed that Kim Sae-ron had a romantic relationship with Kim Soo-hyun back in 2016 — when she was just 17 and he was 29. As “evidence,” Se-ui presented a screenshot of a KakaoTalk chat dated June 24, 2016, which he insisted was proof of the relationship.
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Kim Soo-hyun’s agency swiftly responded, firmly denying the rumors and calling the claims baseless and defamatory. However, parts of the public demanded the actor “prove his innocence,” a standard Lee Jin-ho criticized as absurd — likening it to “proving that demons don’t have wings.”
Lee Jin-ho Dissects the “Evidence”
Addressing the controversy on his channel, Lee Jin-ho reviewed the infamous KakaoTalk screenshots. His findings raised serious questions:
- Kim Soo-hyun’s name never appeared in the chat logs.
- There were no images of Kim Soo-hyun included.
- The contact names shown were vague placeholders like “ㅇㅇ”, “불금”, or “알수없음” (“Unknown”).
Lee stressed that for chat logs to be considered valid legal evidence, two key elements must be present:
- Forensic authentication through digital ID tracking (e.g., user ID numbers from KakaoTalk extracted from the original device).
- Clear identification of the parties involved — such as names, photos, or context that directly ties the messages to Kim Soo-hyun.
In this case, neither standard was met. Lee noted that unless the original forensic analysis is made public — including user IDs or linked phone records — the chat logs cannot be considered credible.
A New Theory Emerges
In a surprising twist, Lee Jin-ho proposed that Kim Sae-ron may have been in contact with other celebrities in 2016 — suggesting that the man in the chats may not have been Kim Soo-hyun at all. This casts further doubt on Kim Se-ui’s narrative, especially as he continues to claim possession of “thousands of documents” and “over 200 photos” but has yet to release definitive evidence linking Kim Soo-hyun to the alleged relationship.
Metadata Mismatch: 2017 Photos of Kim Soo-hyun Resurface
Adding to the controversy, Lee Jin-ho came under fire after sharing additional photos of Kim Soo-hyun — claiming they were tied to the late Kim Sae-ron. However, metadata reportedly confirmed that the images were from 2017, not 2016, further undermining the timeline presented in the original allegation.
Moreover, Lee was recently hit with a three-month suspension from broadcasting content related to Kim Sae-ron after a court determined that his behavior bordered on stalking, which has damaged his credibility even further in the eyes of many netizens.
No Proof, No Link
To date, there is no conclusive evidence proving any romantic involvement between Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron. Until forensic data is publicly released and verified, the burden of proof remains on the accusers — not the accused.
As the scandal continues to unfold, public opinion appears to be shifting. Increasingly, scrutiny is turning not toward Kim Soo-hyun, but toward those responsible for spreading what many now view as baseless rumors.
