All videos pertaining to the late Kim Sae Ron have been privately archived on YouTube reporter Lee Jin Ho's channel, following a tragic turn of events. As confirmed on February 17th, all contents featuring Kim Sae Ron on Lee Jin Ho's 'Behind Master Lee Jin Ho' channel have been taken down. This action is presumably a reaction to mounting criticisms that speculative reporting and YouTube videos played a part in Kim Sae Ron's untimely suicide.
Previously, Lee Jin Ho, a reporter who transitioned into a YouTuber, produced numerous gossip-laden videos about Kim Sae Ron. Notably, one of his videos revolved around marriage rumors that emerged in January. On January 7th, Lee Jin Ho speculated that Kim Sae Ron was preparing for marriage, based on a social media post where she captioned "Marry" alongside a picture of herself in affectionate poses with a man.
When Lee Jin Ho reached out to Kim Sae Ron for clarification, he discovered that her phone number was unavailable. His response was harsh, accusing her of deleting her number due to the controversy and stating, "It seems she lacks sincerity in her self-reflection and has no sense of responsibility as a celebrity."
Lee Jin Ho also previously scrutinized Kim Sae Ron for allegedly consuming alcohol during a self-imposed hiatus following her DUI incident. Although drinking alcohol isn't inherently wrong, he questioned her genuine remorse and framed the situation as if simply drinking was a mistake.
On February 17th, Kwon Young Chan, the head of the Korea Celebrity Suicide Prevention Association, who met with Kim Sae Ron's father, pointed out an "unnamed YouTuber" during an interview. Kwon Young Chan revealed, "Kim Sae Ron's father mentioned that his daughter experienced severe emotional distress due to YouTuber A's videos." Although the YouTuber wasn't explicitly named, considering Lee Jin Ho's continuous speculative criticisms about Kim Sae Ron, including those regarding her wedding-themed photoshoot, and his subsequent deletion of all related videos, many speculated that Kwon Young Chan was referring to him.
Lee Jin Ho's channel has been inundated with furious comments demanding an apology. Messages left by netizens include, "Are you happy now that Kim Sae Ron is gone?", "Cyberbully", "You drove her to her death", "Deleting the videos is infuriating", and "Murderer."
Since then, Kwon Young Chan has stated that if Kim Sae Ron's family decides to pursue legal action against YouTuber 'A' or seek mediation through the Press Arbitration Commission, he will offer various forms of free support.
Meanwhile, Kim Sae Ron was discovered deceased in her Seoul home on February 16th at 4:54 PM by a friend who had planned to meet her and promptly reported it to the police. Although no suicide note was found, authorities announced during a press briefing on February 17th that they believe she took her own life.
