Kim Soo Hyun, the “Queen of Tears” stud, is neck-deep in drama—and not the scripted kind. After a tearful press conference where he swore he never dated the late Kim Sae Ron as a minor, the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute (aka HoverLab) hit back hard. They’ve got alleged chats, photos, and techy metadata they claim prove he’s fibbing. Buckle up—this one’s a rollercoaster!

The Chat That’s Got Everyone Buzzing
Garosero dropped a bombshell: a text they say Sae Ron sent Soo Hyun in 2018. “Oppa, when you miss me, you’re all over me, but when I need you, you ghost. It bugs me I can’t reach you—if you don’t step up, I’m done,” she allegedly wrote at 2 AM. She’d have been 17 then—still a minor in South Korea (legal age is 19). Garosero’s Kim Se Ui says this shows they were tight, not just pals. A casual buddy wouldn’t sound that fed up, right? Fans are split—some see a breakup vibe, others think it’s too vague to call it proof.

Photos and Metadata: The Plot Thickens
Then there’s the pics. Garosero claims one’s from September 2017—Soo Hyun chilling, snapped by Sae Ron when she was 16 and in 10th grade. Another’s a selfie from April 2017, allegedly at his place with spicy chicken stew vibes. Metadata (that geeky file info) backs the dates, they say, pinning her as a minor. Soo Hyun’s camp? They’re yelling “fake news!”—insisting all pics are from 2019-2020, when she was 20 and legal. His agency, Gold Medalist, says the 2017 claims don’t add up—outfits and timelines don’t match. But Garosero’s like, “We’ve got her phones and laptops in forensic hands—more’s coming!”

The Controversy: He Said, They Said
Soo Hyun’s been loud about this. At his big press moment, he cried, swore they only dated as adults (2019-2020), and said Garosero’s evidence is doctored—edited chats, not originals. He’s suing them and Sae Ron’s family for defamation, claiming they’re out to wreck him. His legal crew at LKB & Partners even tossed in a stalking charge, saying Garosero’s been obsessed, blasting his face and private stuff online daily since March. They’re after 12 billion won (about $8 million) in damages—yikes!

Garosero’s not backing down. They say Sae Ron’s family handed over the goods—texts, pics, even FaceTime logs—showing a six-year fling starting when she was 15 and he was 27. They’ve got a 2018 video of him singing to her, metadata stamped when she was 17, and claim he dodged her pleas for help after her 2022 DUI tanked her career. Her aunt says Gold Medalist (his agency) paid $483,000 in damages then demanded it back, pushing her over the edge. Sae Ron died by suicide in February 2025—on Soo Hyun’s birthday, no less—adding fuel to the fire.

Did She Want Out?
That 2018 text has folks wondering: was Sae Ron fed up enough to ditch him? The “I’m not seeing you anymore” line sounds like a breakup threat, but his spotty replies—sometimes quick, sometimes MIA—paint a guy who’s hot and cold. Research shows their agency overlap (both with Gold Medalist 2020-2022) and her DUI fallout strained things. Did she try to cut ties, only for him to reel her back? It’s murky—those chats don’t scream “over” yet, but they’re not exactly love notes either.

Why It’s a Big Deal
This ain’t just gossip—it’s a K-ent earthquake. Soo Hyun’s lost Prada deals, his Disney+ show “Knock-Off” is on ice, and fans are raging or weeping online. Garosero says they’ll chill if he apologizes, but he’s digging in with lawsuits. Sae Ron’s family wants justice, claiming he groomed her; he says they’re framing him for her death. The forensic dive into her devices could tip the scales—real chats or fakes? Either way, it’s a brutal spotlight on fame, age gaps, and mental health in South Korea’s cutthroat star world. What’s your take—team Soo Hyun or team Garosero?