Controversial YouTuber and former entertainment reporter Lee Jin-ho has once again sparked debate after publicly addressing the long-standing rumor that actress Kim Sae-ron dated actor Kim Soo-hyun in 2016 while still a minor. However, recent forensic analysis has only deepened the confusion, raising more questions than it answers, and possibly pointing to a different reality. Speculation is also mounting that Kim Sae-ron may have been in contact with other celebrities in 2016, with growing doubt that Kim Soo-hyun was ever involved.
The Allegation and the Public Backlash
The claim first surfaced through online personality Kim Se-ui (Garo Sero Research Institution’s representative), who alleged that Kim Sae-ron had a romantic relationship with Kim Soo-hyun when she was just 17, while he was 29. The only “evidence” released was a KakaoTalk conversation from June 24, 2016, which Se-ui insisted was proof of their relationship.
However, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency strongly denied the allegations, calling them false and malicious. Despite the denial, a portion of the public began demanding that the actor “prove his innocence,” an impossible standard that Lee Jin-ho compared to “proving that demons don’t have wings.”
Forensic Flaws in the Chat Evidence
Lee Jin-ho addressed the controversy by analyzing the KakaoTalk logs presented by Kim Se-ui. According to him, the conversation:
- Did not contain Kim Soo-hyun’s name
- Did not include any images of Kim Soo-hyun
- Displayed contact names like “ㅇㅇ”, “불금”, or “알수없음” (unknown), none of which clearly identify the male participant
Lee emphasized that for such data to be legally valid, two criteria must be met:
- Forensic verification via digital ID tracking (KakaoTalk user ID numbers extracted from phone data)
- Conversation content clearly linking the user to Kim Soo-hyun through name mentions, photos, or recognizable context
In this case, neither standard was met, casting serious doubt on the legitimacy of the evidence. Lee noted that unless forensic analysis is made public, including the original user IDs or linked phone records, the chat logs hold no legal weight.
A Twist: “It Wasn’t Kim Soo-hyun?”
In a further twist, Lee Jin-ho suggested that Kim Sae-ron may have been in contact with other celebrities in 2016, and that the individual in the controversial chat logs might not be Kim Soo-hyun at all. This casts a shadow over Kim Se-ui’s claim, especially given that he has repeatedly stated he possesses “thousands of documents” and “over 200 photos” but has failed to produce any definitive proof linking Kim Soo-hyun to the relationship.
Adding to the skepticism, Lee Jin-ho was recently placed under a temporary 3-month broadcasting ban for content related to the late actress Kim Sae-ron, after the court recognized his behavior as bordering on stalking. This has further damaged the credibility of his statements in the eyes of many netizens.
As of now, no conclusive evidence has surfaced to support the claim that Kim Soo-hyun had any romantic involvement with Kim Sae-ron in 2016. Until forensic proof is made public, the burden of verification falls on those who made the allegations, not the accused.
For now, Kim Soo-hyun remains legally unlinked to the claims, while public sentiment increasingly shifts toward skepticism about the motivations and methods of those spreading the rumors.
The post Lee Jin-ho Claims Kim Sae-ron Dated Two Celebrities in 2016: Not Kim Soo-hyun? appeared first on KBIZoom. KBIZoom – Breaking news about K-pop, K-drama, Anime/Manga and worldwide entertainment KBIZoom – Breaking news about K-pop, K-drama, Anime/Manga and worldwide entertainment
