“Why Was She Pressured?” — Sulli’s Family Confronts Kim Soo-hyun About Controversial Nude Scene

The family of the late Sulli has formally requested an explanation from director Lee Sa-rang (also known as Lee Rove) and actor Kim Soo-hyun regarding the controversial sex scene in the film Real.

On March 28, Sulli’s family released an official statement urging Kim Soo-hyun’s side to clarify the circumstances surrounding the filming of the sex scene in Real, a 2017 movie starring both Kim and Sulli. The film was directed by Lee Sa-rang, who is known to be either Kim Soo-hyun’s cousin or half-brother, and also a co-founder of Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency.

Real made headlines upon its release not only for its convoluted storyline, but also for its massive production budget of 10 billion KRW (approximately $7.5 million USD). Set in a glamorous casino, the movie follows the story of a man suffering from a split personality, exploring the question: “What is real?”

The film drew mixed reviews due to its explicit content involving drugs, sex, and violence. Initially directed by Lee Jung-sub, the directorial role was later taken over by Lee Sa-rang during post-production—raising eyebrows since he was also a relative of the lead actor.

One of the most controversial aspects of the film was the explicit scene between Kim Soo-hyun and Sulli, which has resurfaced following the family's statement.

Sulli’s family raised three main questions in their public statement:

Script Discrepancy: “According to staff and other actors, the sex scene between Kim Soo-hyun and Sulli was not originally described in such detail in the script. We would like to hear Kim Soo-hyun’s position on this.”

Use of a Body Double: “There was a body double present on set for Sulli’s nude scenes. Why was the body double not used? Why was Sulli persuaded to perform the scene herself, and was she pressured into doing so?”

Contradicting Accounts: “We were told the body double couldn’t attend the shoot due to illness, but attendees at Sulli’s funeral claim the double was present on set. Is that true?”

The family stated that although Sulli is no longer here to speak for herself, they hope those involved—including Kim Soo-hyun and Lee Sa-rang—will address these questions transparently and respectfully.

They also clarified that while they had heard many things during Sulli’s 2019 funeral, they chose to publicly raise only three questions centered around facts, in hopes of a sincere response. Their statement also included condolences to the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron.

Full Statement (Translated):

Hello, this is the family of the late Sulli.

First of all, we kindly ask for your understanding as this message may be somewhat disorganized. We also wish to express our heartfelt condolences for the late Kim Sae-ron. May she rest in peace.

Over the past six years, we have lived through deep sorrow and many tears. But we’ve also been deeply grateful for the support and kindness shown to us by many people. That is why we couldn’t turn a blind eye to the death of Kim Sae-ron or treat it as if it had nothing to do with us. We offer our sincere condolences to her family.

During Sulli’s funeral in 2019, we heard some troubling things—specifically regarding the bed scene filmed during the production of the 2017 movie Real. Since this information hasn’t been made public, we don’t know the full facts. However, we heard that a body double, who was said to be unavailable due to illness, was actually present on set.

Now that Sulli is no longer with us, it's difficult to verify the truth. Nevertheless, we hope that Kim Soo-hyun and the director of the film at the time, Lee Sa-rang (also known as Lee Rove), will share their side of the story.

We would like to ask three specific questions:

According to staff and actors we spoke with during the funeral, the bed scene between Sulli and Kim Soo-hyun was not originally described in such detail in the script. We would like to hear Kim Soo-hyun’s response to this.

We understand that there was a body double prepared for Sulli’s nude scenes during filming, and that the double was present on set. If that’s the case, why wasn’t the double used? Why was Sulli persuaded or pressured into performing the bed and nude scenes herself?

It was initially stated that the body double could not attend the shoot due to illness. However, testimonies from people at the funeral claimed the double was indeed present on set. Is this true?

Although we heard other things during the funeral as well, we are limiting ourselves to these three fact-based questions and ask for sincere and detailed answers.

Once again, we offer our deepest sympathies to the late Kim Sae-ron and her family.

— The family of the late Sulli

Here is the trailer for the movie, Real: