The controversy surrounding South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron’s February 16 death by suicide took an unexpected turn on Tuesday, with a man claiming he was married to the 24-year-old K-drama star.
In a new video shared by South Korea-based YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, a man, who did not wish to be identified, acknowledged being married to Sae-ron. He also claimed to have received a mysterious phone call from an anonymous person threatening him for allegedly assaulting the actress.
“Hello. This is the late Kim Sae-ron’s husband. I wondered if it was right for me to step up because I am still in pain, and unable to get out of my own feelings. I wondered if I would be causing damage to Sae-ron and her bereaved,” he said.
South Korean comedian Jin-ho shared the recording of a purported telephonic conversation between Sae-ron’s manager and her best friend on Saturday. In the now-deleted audio clip, Sae-ron’s best friend (anonymous) revealed that the actress was allegedly married to an “abusive man” who is based in New York. She claimed that Sae-ron had an abortion after going through a series of physical abuse.
On Tuesday, the man, who appeared in Garosero Research Institute’s latest video, denied the abuse and abortion allegations.
Sharing a marriage certificate with the YouTube channel, he added, “I was just living life as I did, an ordinary person, when I met Kim Sae-ron around mid-to-late November 2024, thanks to an introduction from an acquaintance… Later, we decided to void the marriage upon agreement from both parties, due to the fact that we got married too quickly without serious consideration.”
The man claimed that no form of assault occurred in their house in America. The late actress only visited him three times in the US, and she could have left if he had been abusive, he said.
He also dismissed rumours about the late actress’s abortion, claiming that Sae-ron never had any plans of getting pregnant.
“Lastly, on March 18, 2025, someone contacted me anonymously, claiming to be Kim Sae-ron’s acquaintance. I will show you the message I received from them. I continued to talk to them, as I believed them to be someone I knew, but they lied and said that they were her older male cousin, and tried to provoke me multiple times, asking me why I assaulted her, blackmailed her, etc. When I said that I would be taking legal actions, they immediately stopped contacting me. If needed, I will request for a fair and just police inspection,” he said in the statement.
The late actress’s family has sued YouTuber Lee Jin-ho for spreading lies about their late daughter’s alleged secret marriage.
Kim Sae-ron, who gained popularity as a child actor, passed away on February 16, which coincidentally is K-drama actor Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday. According to police reports, 24-year-old Sae-ron was found dead at her residence. Police said Kim died by suicide.
Previously, the Garosero Research Institute dropped a video where Sae-ron’s aunt claimed that Soo-hyun dated Sae-ron for five years and they broke up after the actress’s drink-driving incident in 2022.
Later, the channel also dropped a video alleging that the actress’s debt dispute with her previous agency, Gold Medalist, which also manages actor Kim Soo-hyun, may have been the reason behind her untimely passing.
Recently, the actress’s family accused Soo-hyun of dating her when she was a minor. However, Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, denied the allegations, stating that the couple began dating only after Sae-ron had become an adult.