SEOUL, Sept 30 — Actor Kim Soo-hyun has released personal diary entries from his military service to refute allegations that he dated the late Kim Sae-ron while she was underage.
Kim Soo-hyun’s lawyer Ko Sang-rok shared excerpts of the diary on social media today, stating they were written between January 2018 and July 2019, during his mandatory military service.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, Ko said the entries “became letters sharing daily life and heartfelt messages with his girlfriend.”
“Kim didn’t send these writings by mail because of the risk of them getting lost or stolen. Instead, he carried the collected pieces with him on every vacation and shared them directly with his lover,” Ko added.
One entry, claimed to be written on April 6, 2018, reads, “I thought you, who still pays attention to and makes an effort for my clumsy words and actions, are so lovable.”
It continues, “I really want to write your name, but I can’t because I’m such an attention seeker. I really want to write your name. I’m saying I love you.”
Another entry allegedly from August 3, 2018 states, “I think I’m treating her better than I did before enlisting. I’m not using my energy on anything else — I’m focused only on her, thinking of her, wanting her, waiting for her. I keep missing her and wanting to see her.”
Ko said the diary entries show Kim Soo-hyun was in a relationship with someone else during the period when Kim Sae-ron’s family claimed the two were romantically involved.
The family alleged that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron from late 2015, when she was in middle school, until July 2021.
They cited a letter allegedly written by Kim Soo-hyun in June 2018, addressed to Kim Sae-ron using a nickname and expressing that he missed her.
Ko emphasised a “clear difference in tone” between the letter sent to Kim Sae-ron and the diary entries written for Kim Soo-hyun’s actual partner.
“These writings are filled with sincerity — sharing everyday moments with his lover, expressing deep affection, and envisioning the future they would build together after his discharge,” Ko said.
“In contrast, during the same period, there was only one letter sent to the late Kim Sae-ron. It was also confirmed that on the very day he sent that letter, the actor wrote a separate diary entry expressing how much he missed his actual lover,” he added.
Kim Soo-hyun initially denied any romantic involvement with Kim Sae-ron during her teenage years, but later admitted they dated for one year between 2019 and 2020.
Ko said all photos and other materials presented by Kim Sae-ron’s family as evidence of the relationship were created in 2019, when she was legally an adult.
Kim Soo-hyun is one of South Korea’s most prominent actors, known for his roles in hit dramas such as Dream High (2011), Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), My Love from the Star (2013), and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020).
He has also starred in films including Secretly, Greatly (2013) and Real (2017), and is widely recognised for his versatility and emotional range.
The 37-year-old completed his mandatory military service from October 2017 to July 2019.
Kim Sae-ron began her career as a child actress, gaining acclaim for her performance in The Man from Nowhere (2010).
She continued acting in television dramas such as Hi! School-Love On (2014) and took on more mature roles as she entered adulthood, notably in Mirror of the Witch (2016). She died on February 16, 2025, at the age of 24.
