TrappedInSubtitles

Zhao Zhen Dong as the protective/abusive adoptive brother character was amazing. His performance is compelling, fabulous, and makes this highly flawed piece addictive. I've seen 5 of his dramas now and he is good in a wide variety of roles and great in comedy but the role here gave him so much scope and his delivery blew me away. The chemistry with the brother is off the charts. So much smouldering tension it was a surprise my screen didn't burn up.
Not to disparage Wang Xuan - the ML part was just less complex.

Let down by script leaving plot gaps and consistency issues. Actors fine, especially FL. (ML always eatchable but role here rather flat.)

Not reflecting on this particular instance but statistically S Korea has one of the world's highest rates of suicides.

I'll have to read the actual diary entries as my understanding was that there was no evidence showing he sent inappropriate messages or letters. Contact with an aspiring actress or fan isn't necessarily grooming - content is key. If those sent to Kim Sae Ron only discussed simple topics like the weather and his military routine, that realky isn't the soecific dynamic grooming involves, even if a gurl felt it was romantic.
Friendship or encouragement from afar is a relationship but not always a romantic or sexual one. And the industry mixes adults and teens as a matter of course. I'll look again at what the late Kim Sae Ron actually recorded as a teen and near to her death, but the court judgements seemed oersuasivecto me when the courts had the most evidence direct from her family. It isn't all about lawyers if the evidence is clear.

It isn't clear that the interaction with the actor was Kim Se Ron's main, let alone sole problem, however painful. Her death is a tragedy but the cause isn't clear.
Kim Se Ron suffered online hate campaigns and financial pressures.
People aren't convinced that the actor ever had inappropriate relations with her as a minor. The fact that they had a relationship as adults and had been in touch before isn't proof. Grooming behaviours don't just equal any contact, but specific patterns within contact. Exchanging letters and messages with industry professionals, aspirants and fans of various ages is just part of the entertainment industry. It the actual content that is important in judging any verified records.
I really wish Kim Se Ron had given any recorded formal statement (private to a lawyer or other quality record) on this matter. Her family's pain is very real and a clear reason for their loss may help them pricess that but it isn't evident that Kim Se Ron had herself or gave those around her a single cause for her pain and her actions.
I've known people who have had traumatic sexual relationships or breakups at various ages (and 19 is a sensitive age itself anyway). So far nothing released by those close to Kim Se Ron that I've seen (I haven't seen all) shows that she was in a two-way romantic or sexual relationship with him before they dated as adults. Kim Se Ron's loved ones released relevant material to the courts to fight their case, but none of it showed a romantic liason in her childhood or abusive behaviour.

In this industry actors often have contact, often regular contact, with minors. I haven't seen the information her family holds and wouldn't want to argue with that but not all regular contact with a minor is grooming.

Seriously total victim blaming. Why are people like tgat in this day and age? 😭