Veteran actor Won Bin, known for his reclusive public life and legendary film roles, has unexpectedly been drawn twice into the ongoing controversy surrounding the late actress Kim Sae Ron and actor Kim Soo Hyun.

Won Bin, 46, has largely stayed out of the public eye since his acclaimed performance in The Man From Nowhere (2010), where he starred alongside a then 10-year-old Kim Sae Ron.

Their on-screen chemistry became one of the film's emotional anchors, helping propel it to become Korea's highest-grossing film that year.

Though the two only worked together once, their connection has resurfaced in the public eye.

According to reports, Won Bin quit smoking during the filming of The Man From Nowhere out of consideration for Kim. He reportedly remained a non-smoker afterward.

Following Kim Sae Ron's death on Feb. 16, 2025, Won Bin sent a condolence wreath and attended her wake.

Witnesses described him as visibly distraught and said he left quickly due to the intense media attention.

More recently, his name was invoked in a swirl of allegations and public speculation tied to Kim Soo Hyun, who has faced accusations related to his relationship with Kim Sae Ron, including a controversial claim that the actor had a sexual relationship with her when she was 14.

Kim Soo Hyun has not responded publicly to these specific allegations.

In one instance, the wife of an informant involved in the case claimed that Won Bin had offered support to her and her husband during an undisclosed stage of the controversy.

"At the time, I didn't know who he was, but I was very grateful to him," she said. The context of Won Bin's support, whether material or emotional, remains unclear.

Separately, a netizen posted a widely circulated comment on a Garo Sero Research Institute video in March, claiming that Won Bin was aware of Kim Sae Ron's financial struggles, including a KRW 700 million (USD 510,000) debt to her former agency, Gold Medalist.

"I saw in another video that the late Kim Sae Ron's aunt is about to release a three-minute recording," the netizen wrote. "But I heard that Won Bin knew that the late Kim Sae Ron was suffering because of the 700 million KRW debt and was planning to pay it off for her. Won Bin is truly incredible. I'm almost in tears."

The same comment harshly criticized Kim Soo Hyun, suggesting he pressured Kim Sae Ron to repay the debt through a certified letter.

"But Kim Soo Hyun, despite having a fortune of hundreds of billions of KRW, couldn't wait and even pressured her with a certified letter, demanding repayment of the 700 million KRW. So, in the end, is it not him who drove her to her death?" the user wrote.

Neither Won Bin nor his agency has publicly addressed these claims.

Kim Soo Hyun's legal team has strongly denied previous allegations and recently filed legal action against popular YouTubers for spreading allegedly false information.

But as further recording and testimonies are released, the mystery surrounding Kim Sae Ron's death and Kim Soo Hyun's involvement in her financial and emotional despair deepens, bringing the unexpected part Won Bin played back into the fold, and igniting new questions about what there is to know, and when.