In response to the allegations that the late actress Kim Sae Ron had worked unpaid as a visual director at Gold Medalist, a former employee of the agency has stepped forward to dismiss the claims.

On March 22, an individual known as 'A,' who identified as a past Gold Medalist staff member, shared their perspective on Instagram. They expressed their condolences for Kim Sae Ron's passing and highlighted their role as a creative director at Gold Medalist during the company's early days, where they handled branding and visual direction.

'A' clarified that they were responsible for directing the profile photo of Kim Sae Ron on Naver and overseeing the visual direction for all trainees, rookies, and actors at Gold Medalist. They felt the need to address the issue because they believed their work over the past five years at Gold Medalist was being discredited.

Regarding the claims that Kim Sae Ron had worked as an unpaid visual director early on, 'A' strongly refuted this as untrue.

Additionally, 'A' shared their work background, mentioning that they served as a creative editor at Gold Medalist from November 2019 to December 2024. Their experience included contributing to visual projects like the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics ceremonies and media art initiatives such as the media tower at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1.

Previously, Kim Sae Ron’s family, through the Garo Sero Research Institute (HOVERLAB) YouTube channel, stated that Kim Sae Ron and actor Kim Soo Hyun were in a relationship. They revealed that in 2019, Kim Sae Ron declined offers from other agencies to join Gold Medalist, where Kim Soo Hyun was also signed. They claimed that she assisted in talent scouting and actively contributed to company activities without receiving payment.