Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s tearful appearance at a press conference held on March 31 at the Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul, has stirred mixed reactions online, many of them critical. The event was held to address allegations surrounding his past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron, including claims of dating her as a minor and pressuring her over debts.

During the 40-minute session, Kim Soo-hyun broke down in tears while firmly denying all allegations. However, the public response on social media and internet forums has been notably cold, with many netizens openly mocking his emotional display.

Sarcastic comments flooded online communities:

“I thought this was a drama shoot.”

“He came out after doing his hair and makeup just to act out crying.”

“No wonder he’s an actor.”

“Crocodile tears.”

Some netizens further ridiculed his phrasing, referencing his statement with quips like, “What is an actor’s life? What is a star’s life? His expressions were ridiculous, star, star.”

Kim Soo-hyun opened the press conference with the line, “First, I’m sorry. It seems that because of me, too many people are suffering.” However, his remarks appeared to focus more on the hardships faced by his agency staff, fans, and colleagues, rather than the bereaved family.

He explained his initial denial of the relationship by stating, “As the lead actor during the airing of ‘Queen of Tears,’ there were many things I had to protect.” He admitted that he often prioritized his public image, saying, “Whenever there was a conflict between the choices of Kim Soo-hyun the person and Kim Soo-hyun the star, I always chose the path of the star.”

Kim firmly stated, “I did not have a relationship with the deceased when she was a minor,” and emphasized, “It is also untrue that the deceased made a tragic choice due to my neglect or because my agency pressured her over debts.”

He also claimed that the evidence submitted by Kim Sae-ron’s family was fabricated, citing forensic analysis showing the authors of the 2016 and 2018 KakaoTalk messages were different people.

Toward the end of the conference, Kim vowed legal action, stating, “We will follow thorough legal procedures to verify all the evidence presented by the bereaved family through investigative authorities.” His lawyer confirmed the filing of a criminal complaint and a civil lawsuit seeking 12 billion KRW in damages against Kim Sae-ron’s family and a YouTube creator.

Meanwhile, Kim Sae-ron’s family presented forensically recovered messages from 2016, a 2024 conversation with an acquaintance, and an unsent letter written by the late actress. “We presented this evidence in hopes of putting an end to the controversy,” the family stated.

As public scrutiny intensifies, what was meant to be a clarifying moment for Kim Soo-hyun has instead sparked a fresh wave of skepticism.