sankkoch

Knock Off has been put on hold. The airing date and the poster have both been removed from the dramas' MDL page.

This has been very helpful, thank you. I appreciate all the additions and improvements.

Coda: While Kim Sae Ron did share the existence of the first certified letter with her family, they only discovered the existence of the second certified letter while removing her belongings after her death.

GoldMedalist did file two criminal complaints (aka lawsuits)—about a dozen hours ago as of this writing, and after you posted your question—against two other parties: Kim Sae Eui, the operator of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute and the woman Sae Ron referred to as her aunt.

The complaint against Kim Sae Eui regards the dissemination of an uncensored salacious photograph on GaroSero's live YouTube stream yesterday, which violates SK laws. And the complaint against KSR's auntie names her as an accomplice. Gold Medalist is alleging that she provided that photo to the online news blogger.

The nature of the photo consists of KSH washing dishes in KSR's apartment. His back is to the camera. He is not wearing any pants and his buttocks are visible. The complaint cites the violation of posting a photo of a sexual nature without permission. It also cites emotional damage to KSH related to both embarrassment and to his being sexually objectified.

By filing this criminal complaint, Gold Medalist has retracted their previous denials that KSH had ever visited KSR's apartment and that KSH & KSR had ever dated. This renders seven of their previous public statements false and fraudulent.

The complaint also requests that the two named plaintiffs cease and desist from posting any FALSE claims and media online. This does not, however, request Garosero refrain from broadcasting any TRUE claims and media (and nor could it.)

Gold Medalist has never sued Kim Sae Ron. They did threaten her with a lawsuit a year ago, but it was never filed and was promptly retracted. But the reversal was done in such a way that KSR was confused, left feeling threatened by the looming debt, and unable to solicit clarification directly.

On March 15 and 25th of last year, Gold Medalist sent Kim Sae Ron two certified letters, the first of which did threaten a lawsuit against her regarding debts resulting from penalties paid over cancelled modeling contracts resulting from her DUI accident a couple years prior. And it also mentioned possible penalties levied by the Queen of Tears production (then airing and streaming) regarding a brief upload of a KSH+KSR couple's photo during the airing of KSH's K-drama. The second letter sought to clarify that she was not actually liable for the debt and that there would liekwise be no penalties levied against her related to the QOT production. The 2nd certified letter also explained that the reason for the first letter was a formality resulting from legal requirements and tax reasons, and that there was never any intent or expectation for her to assume the debt. Gold Medalist subsequently paid off the debt in its entirety on April 02.

What GoldMedalist also did do—last March, after the first certified letter was sent to Saeron, was ghost her each & every attempt to contact anyone and everyone she knew at the studio while desperately seeking clarification to her responsibilities.

What KSH did do immediately after that—after KSR finally managed to get through to him directly by using her cousin's phone and express a cry for help—was to hang up and then give that telephone number to entertainment media reporters, who proceeded to hound Saeron mercilessly. All of this became public knowledge yesterday.

And to editorialize this in my own way, Gold Medalist and KSH were and are trying to have it both ways: They sent the certified letters to threaten her and they didn't actually want her to understand that it was all a bluff. (The second letter was to cover their ass because legally the could not actually sue her to recover the debt (and to retract the threat of impending penalties from QOT.) What they really wanted was to strike fear into her from ever uploading any damning media ever again.

The cast will still get their base pay, but will lose out on future residual pay, exposure, potential awards and/or future projects resulting from their performances, etc. And they will have wasted their time, instead of something productive. And this also goes for the sequel season, which was already in production. For S2 they will likely only receive the base pay for however many episodes have already been filmed, which aren't many. (Disney may do right by these people in some regards by providing additional compensation and/or opportunities.)

The family claims it was 2015-early 2022, The diary is hard evidence and will resolve this one way or the other.

Anticipating your next reply, it is extremely uncommon in court cases for a diary to be determined to be fraudulent. It has happened, but rarely. The prevailing view is that a personal record of one's activities, thoughts & feelings is unimpeachable. And again, whether her diary actually records this timeframe or not remains to be seen. All we have to go by now is the statement from the family.

IRL Makjang! Ding! Ding! Ding!

GM insists they communicated to her that the debt was forgiven and the threatening letters were "only a formality." The letters were sent March 15 2024 & March 25 2024. GM officially paid off the debt on April 02, 2024.

But it seems to me that they want to have it both ways. They wanted to put the fear into her and didn't wan't her to know she was in the clear. I believe that is why they ghosted her last March while she was desperately calling everyone at the Studio, asking for clarification.

And when she did manage to get through to KSH via her cousin's phone, begging him for help, the disgraced actor denied her and instead gave the number out to media "journalists" (hyenas), who then proceeded to harass her repeatedly.

After reversing their denial and admitting that the bare-buttocks dishwasher in the photo is indeed KSH, Gold Medalist warned of further legal action, stating, "If the late Kim Sae Ron’s family and Garosero Research Institute continue to spread false information, we will be left with no choice but to take comprehensive legal action to protect the honor and reputation of our actor and the agency."

But GM didn't say anything about the family and Garosero spreading TRUE information! 🧐

👏🏼👏🏼

Fair enough. Thank you for your reply.

Also, ISTR reading somewhere that the staff member had also worked at GoldMedalist but followed KSR to her new agency, and that some have speculated they may still be working on behalf of GM. I'll try to track this point down.

There's been some misunderstandings about the audio released by Lee Jin Ho via his YouTube channel. The late Kim Sae Ron is NOT one of the parties recorded.

"YouTuber Lee Jin Ho released two audio recordings he claims are between a staff member from Kim Sae Ron’s new agency after she left Gold Medalist “A” and Kim Sae Ron’s best friend “B”. Both conversations took place and were recorded on February 16, 2025, the same day Kim Sae Ron died."

You are of course welcome and encouraged to form your own opinions. All I ask is that you please read this and come back and let us know if you still feel the same way:

pannchoa.com/2025/03/theqoo-late-kim-saerons-mothers-letter.html

I am reposting a few jokes from several hours ago. Please pardon my vulgarity and poor taste.

KSH didn't do himself or his attorney's any favors at his press conference today when he told reporters the reason for not wearing any pants when that photograph was taken. He said, "It's because I wasn't done statutory raping my underage girlfriend!"

Attorneys for Kim Soo Hyun told the press that they pushed for a criminal lawsuit against Garo Sero and Kim Sae Ron's family today, and not a jury trial because, they say, "The potential jury pool can be split into two camps: Those who believe our client is guilty of grooming and statutory rape, and those who are really, really stupid!"

It was revealed today that Kim Soo Hyun's lawyers asked the judge to skip the forensics examination of the photo evidence and proceed directly to trial. When asked why they did this the lawyers replied, "We want to get Soo Hyun exonerated as speedily as possible so he can get back to doing what he does best—grooming children!"

In other news, Prada executives today have launched a search for their next global ambassador. Reportedly their #1 criteria for selecting this representative is "someone who does not groom and rape children!"

Maybe post a reply, "He isn't suing the family for defamation for calling him a groomer because it isn't a lie!"

NVM. It isn't worth it. And you don't want the mob coming after you!

You can thank member @YourLeftBoobie for taking action in this regard

I feel certain that KSH/GoldMedalists attorneys have been advising their client, "Well we could do that, but it has a slim chance of success and the consequences could be extreme." While KSH's response is: "DO IT! DO IT NOW! DO ANYTHING! MAKE IT STOPPPPPP"

It is my understanding that unless & until a judge orders an injunction to cease releasing media, they can continue to do so. (Their attorneys may still however advise them to cease.) But SK law is different, so 🤷🏻‍♂️