“Exclusive: Late Kim Sae-ron’s Father Expresses Anguish Over YouTuber Lee Jin-ho’s Actions, ‘Sae-ron is in Tremendous Pain..Even if the World Ends, I Can’t Forgive'” (Interview Summary)

On the 16th of last month, actress Kim Sae-ron passed away at the young age of twenty-five.

On the 9th, 20 days later, the deceased’s family, including the father, held an interview with Daily Sports.

The family expressed, “Sae-ron suffered a lot due to YouTuber Lee Jin-ho and cyber wreckers like him, as well as media outlets that indiscriminately used their videos. The family went through hell together, and the family’s suffering has not ended.” The deceased’s father requested that the family participating in the interview, fearing secondary harm, be referred to as simply ‘family’.

The reason the deceased’s father was worried about secondary harm to the family was that YouTuber Lee Jin-ho and a journalist from a media outlet called him the day after Kim Sae-ron’s funeral.

Particularly, the deceased’s father quietly expressed anger, stating Lee Jin-ho called even after the funeral and the following day.

The father of the late Kim Sae-ron stated, “Though my memory isn’t clear due to the circumstances, I do remember a call from Lee Jin-ho during mourning.

What’s clear is that another call came from Lee Jin-ho after the funeral, once the family had returned from the charnel house,” he said.

“Lee Jin-ho asked Professor Kwon Young-chan, who came to Sae-ron’s funeral, whether it was true that I said Sae-ron was in pain because of him.

In such chaos and lack of clarity, I just spoke about the condolence visit.

There was no need to reveal my inner thoughts.

However, the female journalist who called the day after the funeral asked the same question.

They called themselves journalists, and fearing repercussions, I told the same story, but as clarity returned, I became angry.

I was worried about how they got my phone number.” Previously, Kwon Young-chan, chairman of the Korea Celebrities Suicide Prevention Association, conveyed in an interview with Daily Sports what the deceased’s father had said about the late Kim Sae-ron’s suffering due to Lee Jin-ho’s videos, after visiting the funeral home on the first day of the late Kim Sae-ron’s funeral schedule.

The deceased’s father said, “Lee Jin-ho even asked me about the location of Sae-ron’s charnel house.

Though I was aware of YouTuber Lee Jin-ho when I first received the call, I was so confused that I didn’t realize it was him,” he lamented, noting, “Sae-ron attempted extreme choices after watching Lee Jin-ho’s videos, yet as a father…” he grieved painfully.

The deceased’s father said, “Thinking about it, I suspect Lee Jin-ho deceitfully recorded our calls to use them as he wished,” he stated, adding, “I think he called to avoid responsibility, claiming he apologized.”

Previously, YouTuber Lee Jin-ho said to Daily Sports, “To help Kim Sae-ron, I produced related videos and made them after consulting with Kim Sae-ron’s agency officials.”

YouTuber Lee Jin-ho reiterated these claims on the day of Kim Sae-ron’s funeral on his YouTube channel. The deceased’s father replied, “Did Lee Jin-ho say he made the videos with the agency officials intending to help Sae-ron?” asking back, “Which acquaintance said that.

Sae-ron’s acquaintances all tried to protect her,” he expressed.“The manager Lee Jin-ho mentioned wasn’t even the assigned manager and merely met Sae-ron’s mom twice briefly,” he added.

Lee Jin-ho deceptively claimed to hear from others as a pretext, the deceased’s father added.

What’s more astonishing, Lee Jin-ho uploads videos, and media outlets generate sensational articles as if just copying and pasting.

Do they have even the slightest professional ethics?

Is it over once there’s an increase in views, driving someone to death?” The father of the late Kim Sae-ron said, “When Lee Jin-ho uploads videos, internet media outlets exaggerate them and churn out articles, which tormented the child tremendously,” adding, “It was so unbearable that she couldn’t breathe,” before falling silent. Following the deceased’s father, another family member stated, “Do you know what Sae-ron went through because of Lee Jin-ho’s videos?” adding, “Each day was hell.” “Of course, DUI was a mistake.

That’s why she did a lot of part-time jobs to reflect on herself.

She worked in a café and a flower shop, trying to survive in any way possible.

The café she posted on SNS wasn’t where she worked; she went to help where her friend worked.”

Yet, without confirming, media outlets kept using terms like part-time cosplay and appeal to part-time work.

It’s truly too much.

Everyone is too cruel to Sae-ron.” The family member added, “In Lee Jin-ho’s video, there’s content about calling Sae-ron, and because she changed her number, they jeer at whether this is how an actor reflects,” he added, “That very day Sae-ron attempted an extreme choice,” and burst into tears. Indeed, on January 8, YouTuber Lee Jin-ho uploaded a video titled ‘Kim Sae-ron again deletes herself…Missing after marriage rumors?’ where he called the deceased and said, “This number was reachable until this week, but it seems she deleted it due to recent controversy,” and added, “The lack of genuine reflection, ongoing irresponsible actions as a celebrity causing the public to turn its back on Kim Sae-ron.” After the deceased died a month after uploading this video, Lee Jin-ho took down that video, as well as others related to Kim Sae-ron.

YouTuber Lee Jin-ho told Daily Sports he took down the videos as a tribute to the deceased.

The late Kim Sae-ron’s father said, “If Lee Jin-ho’s call was answered by our daughter, does that mean she’s reflecting? If not, does that mean she isn’t?” adding, “You wouldn’t know how much Sae-ron suffered due to Lee Jin-ho’s videos and the media that followed them.” The deceased’s father stated, “Sae-ron was so distressed that she made multiple attempts,” adding, “Whenever such videos and articles were released, she made several attempts.

I don’t know how many times I shouldered her and rushed to the ER,” adding, “In the end, I couldn’t protect her,” he sighed deeply and in distress. Adding to the father’s words, another family member expressed, “You wouldn’t know how hellish the time the family spent was.

People speak so easily.

They ask why didn’t we protect her 24/7 or why didn’t we hospitalize her in a mental institution.

There was even an accident rushing to Sae-ron’s news, and without proper treatment, I went straight there.” The late Kim Sae-ron’s father said, “The acts done by Lee Jin-ho and internet media didn’t just harm Sae-ron but destroyed the livelihood of an entire family. It’s something that can never be forgiven or forgiven,” and added, “Even if the world ends, I won’t forgive those deceitful acts fitting things into their frames.” Even with this declaration, the father worried about potential secondary damage to the family by YouTuber cyber wreckers and media outlets like Lee Jin-ho. The deceased’s father said, “On YouTube shorts, claims that Sae-ron’s charnel house was opened and that our family squandered the money she earned are surfacing, making our family, not just my two daughters that remain, labeled as such,” he lamented.” “Do our family need to refute each as not true news?

Even if my wife and I can endure such things, what about young Sae-ron’s two sisters?

How can I protect the two daughters that remain?” he asked. “If strangers point fingers at my two daughters, should they live with a false charge their whole life?

I really want to correct this and get such videos removed.” The late Kim Sae-ron’s father said, “Even if I wanted to call Lee Jin-ho to scold and refute his claims, I couldn’t risk him recording and using it at his will,” he said, “It’s so unfair, frustrating, and anger-inducing.” The deceased’s father stated, “I want legal punishment for Lee Jin-ho.

Not just Lee Jin-ho, but also those who post such things and leave hateful comments against my family should face punishment,” adding, “Fortunately, some are helping, and the law firm is gathering data,” he said firmly. “Since there has been no legal response from us till now, nonsensical YouTube videos and articles have been increasing.

For the sake of the family that remains, we are planning to take legal action with those supporting us.” After the interview ended, around midnight, a long text message arrived from the late Kim Sae-ron’s father.

Here it is transcribed verbatim. “Reporter.

I have more to say, so I’m texting at this late hour.

Do you know about serial killers?

We are already dead.

What parents could continue living when their beloved child leaves the world first?

Enduring and enduring for the sake of the remaining children, but bad thoughts keep coming. Especially, the mom keeps on blaming herself.

I, too, am struggling.

Please, help us to tell the truth, even just once.

Sorry and thank you.” Reporter Jeon Hyung-hwa brofire@edaily.co.kr