Actress Lee El has publicly criticized the intense scrutiny faced by young actors in the entertainment industry following the controversy surrounding the late Kim Sae Ron’s alleged past relationship with Kim Soo Hyun.
On March 17, Lee El took to social media to highlight the double standards imposed on child actors, sparking a broader conversation about accountability and fairness in the industry.
Without naming specific individuals, Lee El wrote, “A 9-year-old is just a child pushed into the industry by their parents, and a 15-year-old is suddenly treated as if they know everything and is labelled a gold digger?” Her statement quickly gained traction, with many interpreting it as a response to the ongoing public debate about Kim Sae Ron’s past.
#LeeEl has posted on #KimSaeRon
But many netizens are concerned!#KimSooHyunhttps://t.co/IKQl8uSRKN
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 18, 2025Kim Sae Ron, who began her acting career at nine, became the centre of controversy after her family alleged she had been in a relationship with Kim Soo Hyun since she was a minor. These claims ignited a heated public discussion about power dynamics in the entertainment industry, with some questioning the validity of the allegations.
9살은 아무것도 모르고 부모 등쌀에 떠밀려온 아이이고 15살은 세상 다 알아서 꽃뱀 취급합니까
— 2L (@2L_ibnida) March 17, 2025In response, Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, GOLDMEDALIST, strongly denied the claims, stating that the two had only dated for one year after Kim Sae Ron legally became an adult. Despite this clarification, public opinion remained divided. While some accepted the denial, others raised concerns about inconsistencies in the timeline of events.
Read: Kim Sae Ron’s Mother Demands Apology from Kim Soo Hyun
As speculation continued, Kim Sae Ron’s family pursued legal action against YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, accusing him of spreading false information. Their legal representative, Bu Ji Seok of Buyu Law Firm, filed a defamation lawsuit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on March 17. The family expressed that they had initially hoped Kim Soo Hyun would acknowledge their past relationship to dispel misleading narratives. However, they claimed that his continued denials allowed damaging rumours to persist.
