Despite reportedly facing a court ban on creating videos about the late Kim Sae Ron, controversial YouTuber Lee Jin Ho has released a new 12-minute video presenting what he claims to be “decisive evidence” that both Kim Sae Ron and Kim Soo Hyun were romantically involved with other individuals during the 2016-2019 timeframe. This period is significant as it overlaps with Kim Sae Ron’s alleged claims of dating Kim Soo Hyun since her minor years.
Lee Jin Ho, a former reporter who has gained notoriety for his often-sensational celebrity news coverage, stated in his video that he has “invested both [his] life and reputation into this investigation.” He asserted that his findings definitively prove that Kim Soo Hyun did not date Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor.
“A lot of people continue to strongly raise suspicions that Kim Soo Hyun was in a relationship with Kim Sae Ron during her minor years. Now, the time has come to reveal the decisive evidence. I have invested both my life and reputation into this investigation,” Lee Jin Ho declared in his video.
He further claimed to have extensively researched Kim Sae Ron’s romantic history since 2016, identifying individuals she allegedly dated, ranging from non-celebrities to various figures within the entertainment and business industries, and even her eventual American husband.
“This investigation has led to some significant results,” he stated.
Notably, the video did not include any visual evidence. Lee Jin Ho explained this absence by stating his desire to avoid initiating “another witch hunt.” However, he maintained that he personally verified the tips and stories he received, leading him to the conclusion that Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were each involved with different people, not each other, during the contested years.
Lee Jin Ho’s Claims Regarding Kim Sae Ron’s Relationships
The YouTuber first addressed Kim Sae Ron’s romantic involvements, stating,
“First, I received a tip that Kim Sae Ron was actually involved with another celebrity, and not Kim Soo Hyun, in 2016. The tip was highly credible, and through it, I was able to understand the situation at that time.”
He elaborated on his investigation into two specific celebrities suspected of dating Kim Sae Ron. While he acknowledged claims and statements suggesting these relationships, he admitted the lack of “decisive evidence” to publicly name them, expressing concern about potentially triggering another wave of harmful speculation. He mentioned instances where Kim Sae Ron allegedly told friends about these relationships, seemingly corroborated by records, but further investigation reportedly revealed these claims to be untrue.
“Given this, hastily revealing these individuals without proper evidence could result in another witch hunt. As seen in Kim Soo Hyun’s case, identifying someone without conclusive evidence only causes harm,” Lee Jin Ho cautioned.
“Decisive Evidence” Against Kim Soo Hyun’s Involvement During the Period
Turning his attention to Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Jin Ho claimed to possess “decisive evidence” indicating the actor was in a romantic relationship with someone else from 2016 until the end of his military service in 2019 – a period spanning approximately three years. He stated that while Kim Soo Hyun kept this relationship private to protect his partner, his close friends were aware of the depth of their involvement.
Lee Jin Ho directly contradicted claims arising from the 2018 “Chicken Stew” video, which fueled speculation about a relationship between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron. He asserted that Kim Soo Hyun was still in this long-term relationship at that time. He further explained that during Kim Soo Hyun’s military leave, Kim Sae Ron visited his family home once, where they ordered food together, suggesting this single instance was the extent of their interaction during that period. He also alleged that Kim Sae Ron was aware of Kim Soo Hyun’s ongoing relationship with someone else. Lee Jin Ho also presented a FaceTime call log from 2018, purportedly showing Kim Sae Ron reaching out to Kim Soo Hyun multiple times, implying the actor maintained a distance.
To further support his claims about Kim Soo Hyun’s private life, Lee Jin Ho cited past reports from entertainment news outlet Dispatch, which had previously described Kim Soo Hyun as a celebrity notoriously difficult to catch in dating scandals, often preferring to spend his free time on hobbies at home or with close friends and family. He also pointed out that Lee Ro Be, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency representative and a family member, was present with the actor in the “Chicken Stew” video. “In fact, it has been confirmed that there are objective materials supporting Kim Soo Hyun’s long-term relationship with the partner he started dating in 2016,” Lee Jin Ho stated.
Lee Jin Ho Presents “Evidence” of Kim Sae Ron’s Other Relationship in 2019:
Shifting his focus back to Kim Sae Ron, Lee Jin Ho characterized her as having a “highly sociable personality” and suggested she had dated various individuals since her high school years. He then claimed to possess “clear evidence” that Kim Sae Ron had another partner leading up to her alleged relationship with Kim Soo Hyun (reportedly from summer 2019 to fall 2020).
The YouTuber then unveiled what he presented as photographic and video evidence of Kim Sae Ron being affectionate with another individual (not Kim Soo Hyun) in Seoul in May 2019.
“The material I’m revealing today includes a video of Kim Sae Ron showing affection with her partner in Seoul, between Noryangjin Station and Eonju Station, in 2019,” Lee Jin Ho stated.
He acknowledged the potential argument that holding hands might not definitively prove a romantic relationship but asserted that the video clearly depicted them as a couple.
Lee Jin Ho claimed the video was captured by one of Kim Sae Ron’s close friends, who was surprised by their public display of affection and decided to film it. He further alleged that this footage eventually circulated among staff members at her agency before reaching him.
“The metadata of the video confirms that it was taken on May 27, 2019. This means that Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were both dating different people at the same time, as this evidence shows,” Lee Jin Ho concluded regarding this specific piece of evidence.
Challenging Kim Sae Ron’s Account and the Ongoing Legal Battle
Based on his presented “evidence,” Lee Jin Ho directly challenged the timeline of the alleged relationship as stated by Kim Sae Ron in a KakaoTalk message, which reportedly spanned from November 2015 to 2021. He also questioned the sincerity of her statement in a letter to Kim Soo Hyun, where she allegedly referred to him as her “first love and last love.”
Lee Jin Ho raised the possibility of discrepancies in Kim Sae Ron’s statements, particularly referencing her claim in March 2024 about a photo with Kim Soo Hyun taken when she was 16 (allegedly 2016). He stated that digital evidence verification indicated the photo was actually taken in 2019, when Kim Sae Ron was 20.
“It’s extremely difficult to confuse whether you were a middle school student or a university student in a photo. This suggests that there may have been discrepancies in Kim Sae Ron’s statements,” he asserted.
The YouTuber concluded his video by reiterating his stance that Kim Sae Ron’s claims of a six-year relationship with Kim Soo Hyun throughout her teenage years are false. He also addressed the massive lawsuit filed against Kim Se Ui of Garosero Research Institute by Kim Soo Hyun, wishing him luck in resolving the legal issues.
“The truth, though slow, will definitely be revealed,” Lee Jin Ho stated.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun held an emergency press conference on March 31, 2025 (KST), to address accusations made public by the late actress’s family following her recent and sudden passing.
