South Korean talent agency Gold Medalist has issued an official response, strongly denying recent accusations made by the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. The allegations center around Kim Soo-hyun, one of the agency’s most prominent actors. The controversy emerged following a press event held by Kim Sae-ron’s relatives and the group HoverLab Inc., during which they unveiled a voice recording allegedly featuring the late actress claiming she had been romantically involved with Kim Soo-hyun while still a minor.
According to the family, the recorded conversation reportedly took place between Kim Sae-ron and a whistleblower based in New Jersey just a month prior to her death. In the audio clip, the speaker says in Korean that she dated “Soo-hyun oppa” starting in middle school, and that their relationship ended after she began college. The voice also described Kim Soo-hyun and the staff at Gold Medalist as intimidating and manipulative. On the strength of this recording, the family announced plans to file a criminal complaint accusing the actor of violating the Child Welfare Act and making false accusations.
In response, Gold Medalist quickly dismissed the recording as entirely fabricated. Quoting a report from Soompi, the agency insisted that the voice clip had been artificially generated using AI or similar voice-mimicking technology. They emphasized that the audio was never authentic and had no connection to the late actress. The agency went further to accuse the person who supplied the clip—referred to as the “audio file provider”—of being a con artist.
The statement explained that this same individual had previously contacted Gold Medalist, claiming to possess another recording in which Kim Sae-ron supposedly defended Kim Soo-hyun. However, the agency revealed that the person had demanded payment and only provided a sample of the alleged audio, which they determined to be fake. Gold Medalist said they refused to comply with the extortion attempt, asserting that the provider had no credible link to Kim Sae-ron.
Gold Medalist believes that after their refusal to pay, the individual collaborated with HoverLab to publicly release the forged audio clip. They disclosed that a technical investigation into the file is underway and pledged to share the findings once the analysis is complete. The agency maintained that the entire ordeal is part of a larger scheme to damage the reputation of their actor and disrupt their operations.
Furthermore, Gold Medalist addressed other claims made during the press conference, including reports that a whistleblower had been assaulted by someone associated with the agency or their legal representative, attorney Kho Sang-rock. The agency labeled this accusation as entirely untrue and pointed out that the image purported to show the alleged assault was in fact sourced from the internet.
In their statement, Gold Medalist accused HoverLab of orchestrating a malicious campaign against Kim Soo-hyun. They described the press conference as a premeditated cyber attack, motivated by the group’s desperation due to ongoing legal issues involving defamation, stalking, cyber sexual crimes, and tampering with evidence. The agency characterized the event as an attempt to manipulate public opinion through disinformation.
Finally, the agency revealed that they have filed criminal charges against HoverLab for violations of the Stalking Punishment Act and the Information and Communications Network Act concerning defamation. They assured the public that they are working closely with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice. Meanwhile, both Kim Soo-hyun and Gold Medalist continue to deny any past romantic involvement with Kim Sae-ron during her underage years, and reaffirmed their commitment to taking legal action against all parties spreading false and damaging claims.