Petition for ‘Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Law’ Gains Over 50K Sign: Will Korea’s Lawmakers Take Action?

Over 50K Sign Petition for “Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Law.”

Actor Kim Soo-hyun has denied allegations that he was romantically involved with the late actress Kim Sae-ron during her time as a minor. Meanwhile, a public petition calling for South Korea to raise the legal age of protection in cases involving sexual exploitation of minors has gained over 50,000 signatures, surpassing the threshold for review by the National Assembly.

On March 31, a petition titled “Raise the Age and Strengthen Penalties for exploitation of a minor" — The So-called ‘Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Law’” was posted on the official National Assembly petition site. The petitioner called for the current statutory protection range—which only applies to minors aged 13 to under 16—to be expanded to include all individuals under the age of 19, along with stricter legal penalties.

As of April 7, the petition had garnered over 50,000 signatures in less than 30 days, qualifying it for referral to a parliamentary committee for further discussion.

The petition stated, “Recently, the public was outraged by allegations that Hallyu star Kim Soo-hyun was involved in grooming and a possible inappropriate relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was underage. Unfortunately, current South Korean law only protects minors aged 13 to under 16, making it difficult to hold someone legally accountable in such situations.”

The petition quickly gained traction, gathering over 13,500 signatures on its first day. Under the National Assembly’s system, petitions that reach 50,000 signatures within 30 days are reviewed by a relevant standing committee and may move on to a full parliamentary session if adopted.

On the same day the petition launched, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo, Seoul, where he tearfully denied the allegations, saying, “I never had a relationship with her when she was a minor, and I never pressured her financially.”

However, following the press conference, YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute (Gaseyeon) released additional footage they claim shows Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron on a date when she was 18 years old.

Present at the press conference were Kim’s attorney Kim Jong-bok from LKB & Partners, and Ahn Sung-soo, co-CEO of his agency, Gold Medalist. No Q&A session was held during the event.

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