Late Actress Kim Sae-ron’s Letter to Ex-Husband Reveals Deep Emotional Turmoil: “Was It My Fault? I Wanted to Die”

Kim Sae-ron reportedly married her “New York man” in the U.S. earlier this year after meeting him just two months prior.

As the late Kim Sae-ron’s family and whistleblower YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute focus their accusations on actor Kim Soo-hyun, narratives involving her husband (Mr. A) — known as the “New York man” — and ex-boyfriend (Mr. K) have resurfaced in parallel.

On March 25, Mr. K released private text messages with Kim, claiming he wanted to reveal the truth behind her death. That same day, her husband Mr. A responded by releasing a handwritten letter Kim had written to him before her passing. The content of the letter diverged significantly from the texts she had sent to her ex-boyfriend, which included allegations of verbal abuse, surveillance, and fear.

In her two-page letter to Mr. A, Kim expressed heartbreak and emotional exhaustion:

“Our time together was short but intense. Maybe if we had taken things slower and spent more meaningful time together before marrying, it wouldn’t have ended so easily.”

She reflected on the transience of love and life:

“Was I too greedy? Was it all my fault? I thought about death — because when something ends, it becomes forever. When someone dies, they’re gone forever. When a relationship ends, that’s it. It made me think... maybe it’s not the living, but the dead, that truly define this world. And in those moments, I wanted to die.”

She added:

“At first, I wanted to be your forever person. Maybe it started from revenge, then it turned into wanting to build something bigger. But in the end, I only caused pain. I think I was lonely — you weren’t there during the hard times, when I was really sad, when I needed someone.”

Toxic Marriage and Surveillance

Kim reportedly met Mr. A in November 2023 and married him just two months later in the U.S. — a move described as an emotional escape, but one that quickly unraveled. As marital tensions rose, Kim began re-connecting with her ex-boyfriend.

The emotional reliance on Mr. K appears to have escalated tensions in her marriage. According to shared messages, Mr. A allegedly responded by confiscating her phone, monitoring her activities, and sending abusive texts, including one from January 13:

“You’re married now. Stop talking to other guys. Live your shitty life and clean up your own mess, you f**ing idiot.”*

“I Was Scared… He Hit Me, Cursed Me, Hacked My Account”

In messages to Mr. K, Kim detailed terrifying experiences:

“Yes, I looked elsewhere because I was lonely. You were the only one who listened to me. But then he started threatening to leak our messages, hacked my Instagram, hit me, cursed at me… I was so scared. I couldn’t even leave him. I was afraid it would affect you too.”

Kim reportedly attempted self-harm multiple times following her marriage, showing signs of severe emotional instability in the months before her death.

Kim Soo-hyun Denies Allegations, Legal Battle Escalates

In a separate but concurrent controversy, Kim Sae-ron’s family claimed she had been in a relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun since her third year of middle school — when she was still a minor. They made this allegation public through Garo Sero Institute on March 10.

The family also criticized Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency (which he co-founded), for sending Kim Sae-ron a 7 billion KRW ($5.2 million USD) legal notice over breach of contract following her DUI scandal — accusing Kim of standing by silently despite being her ex.

Gold Medalist countered that Kim and Kim Sae-ron only dated from the summer of 2019 to fall 2020, well after she turned 19. The agency emphasized that the legal notice was standard procedure related to financial damages caused by her drunk driving incident.

Legal and Emotional Fallout

On March 27, Kim Sae-ron’s family held a press conference, demanding an apology from Kim Soo-hyun and presenting alleged evidence of a relationship dating back to her minor years. Since then, both the family and Garo Sero Institute have continued to release alleged private videos involving Kim Soo-hyun.

Kim Soo-hyun publicly denied the underage dating allegations on March 31, stating:

“I dated her for one year — five years before Queen of Tears aired. She was not a minor.”

His agency has since filed a 120 billion KRW ($90 million USD) lawsuit against Kim Sae-ron’s family and Garo Sero Institute for defamation.

This tragic, tangled situation continues to unfold with legal battles, media revelations, and personal trauma coming to light. What began as a shocking death has turned into one of Korea’s most high-profile entertainment scandals in years — one that has sparked deep conversations around mental health, relationships, and responsibility in the spotlight.

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