Who is Lee Chan Hee? The Idol Trainee Who Allegedly Dated Kim Sae Ron

This article is part of our coverage of Kim Soo Hyun And Kim Sae Ron's Relationship. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.

The family of the the late actress Kim Sae Ron has alleged that actor Kim Soo Hyun began dating Kim Sae Ron when she was 15 years old. According to Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, GOLD MEDALIST, the relationship began when Kim Sae Ron was an adult, not a minor.

Kim Soo Hyun (left) and Kim Sae Ron (right)

In the midst of this controversy, people from Kim Sae Ron’s past–including friends and romantic partners–have begun to come forward with their own versions of events. One of them is Kim Sae Ron’s ex-boyfriend “K”. After the initial news about Kim Sae Ron’s ex-husband broke, K was interviewed by THE FACT, a Korean news outlet.

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For that interview–in which K said Kim Sae Ron’s ex-husband and her family were to blame for her death, not Kim Soo Hyun–K provided evidence to support his claims. Because THE FACT did not remove some of the personal information on his evidence, K’s name, Chan Hee, has been revealed to the public. A friend of Kim Sae Ron has alleged that K was a contestant on MBC‘s idol audition program, Fan Pick.

“Fan Pick” contestant Lee Chan Hee. In an interview, Kim Sae Ron’s Friend “A” hinted that “K” was a contestant on MBC‘s idol audition program, “Fan Pick.”

Fan Pick is a K-Pop survival show that aired from August 30, 2023 to October 18, 2023. It featured 17 contestants, including one named Lee Chan Hee. He was a member of the Super Pick team and was eliminated in the show’s final episode. The final six trainees went on to debut in the project group PICKUS on April 23, 2024.

According to his Fan Pick profile, Lee Chan Hee was born on January 13, 1999, making him 26 years old. Kim Sae Ron’s ex-husband stated that he and Kim Sae Ron met in mid-to-late November 2024 and legally married on January 12, 2025. If Lee Chan Hee is ex-boyfriend K–who dated Kim Sae Ron for less than a month, before she was married–this means Lee would have been 25 years old or younger when he and Kim Sae Ron dated. At this time, it is unclear when exactly the short relationship took place.

Other than his Fan Pick history, not much is known about Lee Chan Hee at this time, including whether or not he is K. He has not released a statement regarding the matter, and his Instagram is currently set to private.

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