Who Is “Lee Sa Rang”? Dispatch Exposé Questions Kim Soo Hyun’s “Family Scheme”

Amid the ongoing controversies surrounding Kim Soo Hyun, the actor’s family background has also come under scrutiny, specifically his relationship with Lee Sa Rang.

Lee Sa Rang, also known by the alias of Lee Jae Hyun and Lee Ro Be, was introduced to the media as the cousin of actor Kim Soo Hyun. In 2017, he became the center of a massive controversy after Dispatch made a bombshell report exposing how he founded the production company Cove Pictures and directed the movie Real under two false names in an apparent attempt to hide his true relationship with Kim Soo Hyun.

Kim Soo Hyun’s 2017 movie, Real, was a box office failure, garnering mostly negative feedback regarding multiple aspects of the project. The plot was criticized as almost non-existent, whereas the editing and special effects were hardly up to the mark. The lackluster execution of the movie prompted the public to question how the ₩11.5 billion KRW (about $7.93 million USD) production budget had been spent.

When Dispatch probed into the matter, the outlet traced the movie back to a company called Real Munjeonsa, established in 2015. Lee Jae Hyun was listed as the CEO of this firm, which was created to manage film investments and related business activities. This company received ₩11.5 billion KRW (about $7.93 million USD) worth of investment from Chinese and Korean investors.

In 2016, the production company Cove Pictures came into being, and its very first film was Real. Registration records revealed that Lee Jae Hyun was also the CEO of this company. Interestingly, both Real Munjeonsa and Cove Pictures had the same company address —a high-end residential complex in Seongsu-dong, the same address as Kim Soo Hyun’s home.

In 2016, Lee Jae Hyun changed his name to Lee Ro Be. Apart from being the CEO of the aforementioned companies, it turned out that he was also the director of Real. Dispatch explained that the name “Ro Be” was inspired by the Korean pronunciation of the word “love.” Meanwhile, the Korean word for “love” is “sarang.” So the name “Lee Ro Be” turns into “Lee Sa Rang” in Korean —  the same name listed as the director of Real.

Lee took on the role of director despite having no prior experience in filmmaking. He replaced the original director, Lee Jeong Seob. Initially, there were rumors that the reason behind this replacement was embezzlement. However, Lee Jeong Seob confirmed with Dispatch that they were false speculations, and he decided to walk away from the project because of creative differences. Thus, Lee Sa Rang made his directorial debut with Real.

After the movie’s release, it was intensely criticized for not only lacking in storytelling and cinematography but also the problematic utilization of the actresses in the film. Dispatch wrote, “Female actresses are only utilized for scenes involving sex, drugs, and casinos.” Notably, the late singer-actress Sulli was a part of the movie, and she received heated backlash for her nude scene in it.

Dispatch bashed the movie as a “family scheme,” with one brother securing the funds, distributing them, and even directing it, and the other brother investing his star power by becoming the central attraction. The report also claimed that Lee was actually Kim Soo Hyun’s half-brother, a speculation that is also backed by industry insiders.

Some netizens have dug into Kim Soo Hyun’s family tree to solve the mystery of Lee Sa Rang. According to some widespread speculations, Lee Sa Rang is the son of Kim Soo Hyun’s biological mother and her first husband. Kim Soo Hyun is the son of her second husband. Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun’s biological father has a second wife, and their child is singer Kim Joo Na.

Notably, Lee Sa Rang is also the co-founder of Gold Medalist.

Recently, this Dispatch article resurfaced in Korean online communities, turning public opinion even sourer about Kim Soo Hyun.

• “What the hell. These guys are total thugs. Trash pretending to be artists.”
• “It seems like they intentionally made Sulli’s character provocative to attract attention.”
• “I was so disgusted after watching the crappy movie that I turned it off. But as it turns out, it was all about money. I feel bad only for the actresses.”
• “Whoa…”
• “Makes sense that they’re half-brothers. The two are very similar. When the movie was released, it was criticized for being total garbage. What did they do with the 11.5 billion?”

Meanwhile, many netizens have bashed Gold Medalist for questioning the relationship between Kim Sae Ron and the whistleblower who exposed her relationship with Kim Soo Hyun when she was underage. Given the scandalous connection between Kim Soo Hyun and Lee Sa Rang, many felt it was a hypocritical stance. Read more about it here:

Korean Public Flames Kim Soo Hyun’s Agency For Questioning Kim Sae Ron Whistleblower’s Identity