Kim Soo-hyun cleared of Child Welfare Act allegations linked to Kim Sae-ron

Actor Kim Soo-hyun has been cleared of allegations of violating South Korea’s Child Welfare Act after police decided not to refer the case for prosecution.

The Seoul Seongdong Police Station concluded its investigation into allegations that Soo-hyun had violated the Child Welfare Act and committed false accusation, deciding not to forward the case to prosecutors.

The case stemmed from a criminal complaint filed in May 2025 by the family of the late actor Kim Sae-ron. They alleged that Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with her when she was a minor, dating back to her second year of middle school and accused him of violating the Child Welfare Act, among other offenses.

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Soo-hyun’s side has since acknowledged that the two had dated but consistently denied that the relationship began while Sae-ron was underage. The actor’s representatives also maintained that an audio recording released by her family — in which a speaker, purportedly Sae-ron, claimed she had been in a relationship with Soo-hyun since middle school — had been fabricated using artificial intelligence.

Police ultimately decided not to pursue the case, rejecting the allegations brought against the actor.

Meanwhile, Soo-hyun resumed his public activities in July after a yearlong hiatus following the controversy surrounding the late actor.

Soo-hyun filmed a commercial for a Philippine fashion brand on July 14, marking his first official activity since March 2025.

Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seoul’s Seongdong District in February, 2025. Her acting career had largely come to a halt following a drunk driving incident in May 2022. /edv