soohyunupdates@soohyunupdates
[FULL STATEMENT] Actor #KimSoohyun in the press conference today at the Stanford Hotel Sangam in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and completely denied the allegations of dating a minor and pressured debt with the late Kim Saeron.
“I’m sorry. It seems that too many people are suffering because of me alone. And I feel heartbroken because even the deceased may not be able to rest in peace.
I think of myself as a coward. I was always too focused on protecting what I had. I couldn’t even trust the kindness I received and was always afraid of losing something or getting hurt. I was busy running away and denying things out of fear.
That’s why it took me a long time to stand here today. I kept thinking, ‘What if I had just talked about everything from the beginning?’ If I had, maybe the fans who love me and the company staff who worked so hard to make this press conference happen wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.
Every time my private life with the deceased was exposed, I kept thinking, ‘Tomorrow, I’ll just say everything myself and put an end to this nightmare.’
But each time, I hesitated. I worried about how my decision would affect those around me. What if I ended up making things worse for everyone? It was the same when the deceased posted a photo of us together during Queen of Tears.
The truth is, the deceased and I dated for about a year, five years ago, four years before Queen of Tears aired. But at the time, I denied our relationship.
I think it’s only natural for people to criticize my choices. I understand if some of you find it hard to believe what I’m saying about everything that happened between me and the deceased. But this is the only chance I have to speak like this. If you could just listen to me this one time, I would be truly grateful.
Becoming an actor brought me more love than I ever deserved. I wasn’t someone who had much to begin with, but before I knew it, I had so much to protect. Even while Queen of Tears was airing, there were many things I had to safeguard as the lead actor.
I kept wondering, what would happen if I admitted to having been in a relationship with someone I dated years ago? What about the actors working alongside me, the staff staying up all night on set, the production company that poured everything into this project, and the company that supports me?
Whenever I faced a choice between being Kim Soohyun the person and Kim Soohyun the star, I always chose to protect the star.
So, to be honest, I was afraid every single day. I kept thinking, what if all the choices I made to protect Kim Soohyun the star ended up backfiring on me? I was scared of everything.
But even if I could go back to when Queen of Tears was airing, I would make the same choice again. I have to. Could I really make a different decision just for my own peace of mind? No matter how much I think about it, I don’t believe that would be the right thing to do.
I saw it as my responsibility, the burden that comes with choosing this life as Kim Soohyun. If people call my choice cowardly or selfish, I will accept that criticism without hesitation.
And to everyone who has cared for me, I sincerely apologize.
Even at this very moment, I have many worries. I feel anxious. I keep wondering what kind of consequences my words today might bring. But because I am this kind of person, I felt that I had no choice but to speak.
Some people gave me this advice: Just go with the flow. If you want to manage the risks, show that you’re accepting things to some extent. That way, people will lose interest, and later, you can prepare for your comeback. If I had followed that advice, maybe my private life with the deceased wouldn’t have been exposed like this.”
