Kim Sae-ron’s family filed a defamation complaint against YouTuber Lee Jin-ho on March 17, 2025, at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
Attorney Bu Ji-seok, who represents the family, claimed Kim faced “severe emotional pressure” from videos on Lee’s YouTube channel @Behind_Master.
“The defamation charge is just a legal term. We believe Lee’s actions are closer to murder,” Bu stated during the press conference.
Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in eastern Seoul on February 16, 2025. She was 24 years old. Lee had posted multiple videos about her since her DUI incident in 2022.
The family criticized Lee’s videos about social media posts showing Kim with actor Kim Soo-hyun. They claim Lee falsely accused the actress of posing as Kim Soo-hyun’s girlfriend.
“Kim endured deep psychological pain from a series of videos with false claims that Lee posted since 2022,” the family said.
The family accused Lee of making related videos private after Kim’s death in an attempt to destroy evidence.
In their statement, the family referenced Article 250, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Act, which states murder is punishable by death, life imprisonment, or at least five years in prison.
YouTube channel Hoverlab claimed Kim Sae-ron had been seeing Kim Soo-hyun for six years, starting when she was 15. Kim Soo-hyun’s agency initially denied this but later admitted the two had a romantic relationship for about a year after she became an adult.
Kim Se Eui, head of HoverLab Inc., called for Kim Soo-hyun to issue a public apology.
“This is only the first legal step,” Bu said, noting more complaints are likely. “We intend to hold those responsible for defamation and false information fully accountable.”
The family plans to file additional complaints against the YouTuber for his other videos.
