Actor Kim Soo-hyun has filed a complaint against a YouTube channel and the bereaved family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron in connection with allegations that he dated her when she was underage, a law firm representing his agency said Thursday, March 20.

The controversy began when the YouTube channel Hoverlab (also known as Garo Sero Research Institute) claimed last week that the “Queen of Tears” star and the late actress had been in a relationship for six years, dating back to when she was 15 years old.

Hoverlab has since revealed private photos of the two entertainers taken together, attributing them to the late actress’ family.

Kim was found dead at her home in eastern Seoul on Feb. 16, with the police ruling the case a suicide.

A law firm representing the actor’s agency, Gold Medalist, said Thursday that it has filed a complaint against Hoverlab’s operator and the bereaved family, accusing them of distributing private photos in violation of a law against sexual crimes.

Photos released by the channel included an image of Kim without pants. The law firm claimed that the image could be sexually insulting and should never have been released to the public.

“The charges include violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (distribution of footage filmed using cameras, etc.),” GoldMedalist said.

“As stated in our previous statement, GOLD MEDALIST is deeply saddened by the passing of the late actress Kim Sae-ron, who was once part of our agency, and we continue to mourn the loss. However, the photo of actor Kim Soo-hyun posted on Garo Sero’s channel was taken during a period when Kim Soo-hyun and an adult Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship. The photo contains an image of Kim Soo Hyun’s body that could cause him sexual humiliation, and it is a photo that should neither be made public nor has any reason to be disclosed. Posting such a photo on a YouTube channel is clearly a criminal act, and Garo Sero has been threatening Kim Soo Hyun by stating their intention to continue releasing similar photos. Therefore, GoldMedalist is left with no choice but to take strong legal action against such behavior,” it added.

Gold Medalist has denied the underage dating allegations, claiming that the two were in a relationship from the summer of 2019, when she became an adult, until the autumn of 2020. (via Yonhap)