“Stop Defaming Kim Soo-hyun” — Fans Now Take Legal Action Against Malicious Commenters

Fans of actor Kim Soo-hyun are taking legal action against individuals spreading false rumors and malicious comments online.

On April 22, the Kim Soo-hyun Fan Union—including Daum Café 'Eucharist' and the DC Inside Kim Soo-hyun Gallery—announced that they are pursuing criminal charges against those who have continuously defamed the actor by spreading baseless rumors on online communities and social media platforms.

Attorney Yang Tae-young from Siwoo Law Firm, representing the fan union, stated that a formal complaint is expected to be filed with the Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul later this week. The union claims the accused are in violation of Korea’s Information and Communications Network Act related to defamation.

Unlike defamation by insult, which requires the direct victim to file charges, criminal defamation can be pursued by a third party. The fan union noted that not only domestic fans but also global fans have joined the legal effort.

“This is a voluntary movement to protect the rights of the actor and uphold a healthy fan culture,” the fan union explained. “We will not tolerate character defamation or malicious comments disguised as freedom of expression. There will be no leniency.”

They added that they have collected months' worth of evidence, including harmful comments, manipulated images, and posts spreading false information.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency Gold Medalist also filed a separate criminal complaint on April 15, citing ongoing defamation and insult through baseless claims and speculative posts. In March, the actor filed a 120 billion KRW (approx. $88 million USD) civil lawsuit for damages against the family of the late Kim Sae-ron, as well as operators of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute.

Earlier this year, the late Kim Sae-ron’s family claimed through the channel that Kim Soo-hyun had dated her for six years, starting in November 2015—when she was still a minor. They presented what they said were handwritten letters from Kim during his military service and photos of him kissing her on the cheek as "evidence."

In response, Kim’s agency clarified on March 14 that he dated Kim Sae-ron only after she became a legal adult, between the summer of 2019 and the fall of 2020.

Kim Soo-hyun himself addressed the issue publicly at a press conference on March 31, stating: “I did not have a relationship with the deceased when she was a minor.”

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