Lee Sa Rang, also known by the nickname Lee Jae Hyun or Lee Ro Be, is often introduced by the media as the cousin of actor Kim Soo Hyun.
In 2017, he became the center of controversy when Dispatch reported shockingly about him founding the production company Cove Pictures and directing the movie Real under two fake names, in order to hide his real relationship with Kim Soo Hyun.
The film Real starring Kim Soo Hyun was a box office failure. The plot was criticized for being empty, the editing and effects were almost not up to the requirements. The public questioned the investment of 11.5 billion won for the work.
When Dispatch investigated, the news agency found a company called Real Munjeonsa, established in 2015. Lee Jae Hyun is listed as the CEO of the company.
Real Munjeonsa was established to manage film investments and related business activities. The company has received an investment of 11.5 billion won from Chinese and Korean investors.
In 2016, production company Cove Pictures was born and the company's first film was "Real". The registration documents revealed that Lee Jae Hyun is also the CEO of this company.
Interestingly, both Real Munjeonsa and Cove Pictures have the same address - a luxury apartment complex in Seongsu-dong, which is also Kim Soo Hyun's home address.
In 2016, Lee Jae Hyun changed his name to Lee Ro Be. In addition to being the CEO of the two companies mentioned above, he is also the production director and director of Real, although he has no previous experience making films.
Lee Ro Be replaces the original director - Lee Jeong Seob. There are rumors that the reason for changing the director was due to embezzlement. However, Lee Jeong Seob corrected Dispatch, which were false speculations, and he decided to leave the project due to creative differences.
After its release, Real was heavily criticized not only for its script and filming techniques, but also for the problematic use of female actors.
Dispatch wrote: Actresses are only used for scenes related to sex, drugs and gambling.
Notably, the late singer and actor Sulli participated in the work and received backlash for his nativity scene.
Dispatch criticized this as a "family planning" project, with one brother ensuring investment and direction, while the younger brother relied on the attraction of the star to make the work the center of attention.
The article also shows that Lee Sa Rang is not really a "cousin" but is Kim Soo Hyun's half-brother and father.
Some netizens have delved into Kim Soo Hyun's family to solve the mystery of Lee Sa Rang.
It is reported that Lee Sa Rang is the son of his biological mother Kim Soo Hyun and her first husband. Kim Soo Hyun is her son with her second husband. Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun's biological father has a second wife and their child, singer Kim Joo Na.
Notably, Lee Sa Rang is also the co-founder of Gold Medalist - Kim Soo Hyun's current management company.
Recently, this article from Dispatch reappeared on Korean online communities, further increasing public outrage.
Many netizens criticized Gold Medalist, because the company questioned the relationship between Kim Sae Ron and the interviewer who provided information to YouTube channel Garosero. Garosero said that this person was Kim Sae Ron's aunt, but Gold Medalist said that she was not the actor's aunt.
Korean netizens mocked Gold Medalist and Kim Soo Hyun as "fake values", because the actor and Lee Sa Rang also have a complicated relationship, but questioned who is considered "the father of Kim Sae Ron".
