Just as the controversy between Kim Soo Hyun and the late Kim Sae Ron begins to pivot into legal battles and forensic counterclaims, a new layer of scandal emerges—this time involving financial crime. YouTuber Kim Se Ui, head of the controversial channel HOVERLAB (Garo Sero Research Institute), has now alleged that GOLDMEDALIST, the agency representing Kim Soo Hyun, is entangled in stock price manipulation rumors involving an online education company and a celebrity-linked investment web—and once again, at the center of these rumors is the name of late actress Kim Sae Ron.
But what happened and how does the late actress Kim Sae Ron tie to any of these issues? Here’s what we know so far.
Stock Manipulation Rumors Against Kim Soo Hyun Agency, GOLDMEDALIST
It was just a while ago the Kim Soo Hyun tried to restore his reputation and fight back with new KakaoTalk message analysis. And yet HOVERLAB once again stabbed him from the shadow with new stock manipulation rumors against his agency, GOLDMEDALIST, highlighting all their mistreatments against late actress Kim Sae Ron.
On April 11, YouTuber Kim Se Ui, founder of HOVERLAB (Garo Sero Research Institute), redirected attention from personal scandal to financial crime.
The recent rumors claimed that GOLDMEDALIST—the agency managing Kim Soo Hyun—may be implicated in a stock price manipulation scheme. And at the center of this new twist lies a surprising name: Kim Sae Ron.
In a live broadcast, Kim Se Ui claimed that GOLDMEDALIST’s investment ties with online education company Siwon School—currently under police investigation for price manipulation—may be deeper than the public was led to believe.
According to him, the physical address of the implicated agency matches that of GOLDMEDALIST. It suggests that the actor’s agency is not merely related to the scandal, but embedded in its corporate network.
How It’s Related to Late Actress Kim Sae Ron
The YouTuber then disclosed that Kim Sae Ron was officially listed as a “specially related party” to Gold&S, a company reportedly holding stake in both GOLDMEDALIST and Siwon School. He cited regulatory filings showing that Kim Sae Ron originally held 100,000 shares, later reduced to 66,000.
“This proves how close she was to Kim Soo Hyun. After all, why isn’t Seo Ye Ji, another former GOLDMEDALIST actor, listed? Why was Kim Sae Ron’s name the one used here? Was it even with her consent?”
Kim Se Ui.
With Kim Soo Hyun now becoming the face of statutory rape law reform in South Korea, not to mention the previous accusations of tax evasion, this new revelation has potentially dragged his name in a new devastating level.
The focus of the new stock manipulation rumors was not merely about whether Kim Soo Hyun and GOLDMEDALIST truly engaged in financial misconduct, but also whether they used Kim Sae Ron—possibly without her full knowledge—during a time when she was allegedly vulnerable and emotionally unstable.
Kim Sae Ron: Was She REALLY Abused by Her Own Agency?
Previously, following the tragic death of late actress Kim Sae Ron, stories and multiple evidence emerged about her past relationship with Kim Soo Hyun.
Not only that, but Kim Soo Hyun had also been facing accusation of grooming Kim Sae Ron when she was underage. The child grooming then allegedly resulted in a past dating relationship between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron. A relationship that Kim Soo Hyun had repeatedly denied, even when Kim Sae Ron posted a photo of them together.
During a press conference held by her bereaved family in March, they shared the contents of a handwritten letter Kim Sae Ron had written for Kim Soo Hyun—one that was never delivered.
In the letter, Kim Sae Ron wrote, “I hope you read this, not Robe.” This was a direct reference to Lee Robe, GOLDMEDALIST’s co-founder and CCO, and the director of Kim Soo Hyun’s 2017 film “Real.”
According to the family, Kim Sae Ron had tried to reach Kim Soo Hyun after receiving a content-certified payment demand. Yet, the letter was never passed on due to restricted access to Kim Soo Hyun’s residence.
Hence, the new stock manipulation rumors add to the devastating narrative. Kim Sae Ron, a young woman allegedly taken advantage as a legal name by her own agency, GOLDMEDALIST. A representative agency who is supposed to protect her and keep them from harm now allegedly used her and ignored her final attempts to speak.
Ryu Tae Hyun and the Calls That Raise More Questions in GOLDMEDALIST Stock Manipulation Rumors
Kim Se Ui also resurfaced previous call logs and messages between Ryu Tae Hyun, a director at Gold&S, and Kim Sae Ron’s father.
He alleges that the person who tried contacting Kim Sae Ron’s family multiple times was none other than Ryu Tae Hyun. This then raises issues on why an executive from a stock-linked company would have reason to communicate so persistently with the family of a former actor. That is unless something had gone deeply wrong.
And so, with the new stock manipulation rumors circulating, the call then raised more questions. Was Kim Sae Ron’s name really listed with her full knowledge? Did she actively manage her shares, or were they simply for optics for the agency?
Also, why was it have to be Kim Sae Ron’s name listed in the filings—why not GOLDMEDALIST’s other artists? And perhaps the most haunting question of all: did she know?
From Underage Dating to Stock Manipulation Rumors: Where Does Kim Sae Ron Issue End?
Moreover, GOLDMEDALIST stock manipulation rumors involving Kim Sae Ron has truly made us wonder just how deep this scandal is going. Until now, the central issue was alleged underage dating and message fabrication. But now, the scandal threatens to become a corporate exploitation case.
Since her sudden tragic death, Kim Sae Ron’s name has been closely discussed in various controversies. She was dragged into multiple scandals and political moves between Kim Soo Hyun, GOLDMEDALIST, HOVERLAB, and her very own family.
Finally, this case has gone way beyond personal controversy. It now involves damaged reputations, contested digital evidence, and now, suspicions of financial misconduct.
Together, these issues show how even after death, a public figure’s name can remain entangled in ongoing power struggles. And tragically, everything will keep on unfolding without their ability to respond, explain, or defend themselves.
Kim Soo Hyun now has forensic reports and a rising wave of support. But Kim Sae Ron has no further opportunity to explain.
If GOLDMEDALIST stock manipulation rumors are valid, this will become way more than just a corporate crime. Also, if the company really used her name without consent, the public will see it as a profound betrayal of trust between an agency and its artist and between a rising actress and the system that promised to protect her.
Don’t you think so too? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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