She called it a witch hunt.

A veteran actress has garnered some strong reactions from netizens after criticizing the public’s “harsh” treatment of actor Kim Soo Hyun following the exposé of his inappropriate relationship with Kim Sae Ron.

Actress Kim Bu Seon recently posted a lengthy video discussing Kim Soo Hyun’s controversy on her YouTube channel. The video was titled “Celebrities’ human rights are less protected than serial 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ers!!!

Initially, the actress expressed her sorrow at Kim Sae Ron’s passing and expressed her disgust at the people who left malicious comments even at the news of her death. “I realized what a sick society this is. I couldn’t believe how cruel people could be in the face of someone’s death,” she added.

But she then addressed the allegations against Kim Soo Hyun, specifically the exposé of him dating Kim Sae Ron when she was still a minor. Kim Bu Seon criticized the accusations as “cowardly” and proceeded to call out the public outrage over them.

“How cowardly. Can’t men and women date? Isn’t this an era where freedom of expression is abundant?…But celebrities’ human rights are worth less than those of serial 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ers.”— Kim Bu Seon

Kim Bu Seon even called the public backlash against Kim Soo Hyun a “witch hunt.”

“People wouldn’t dare to say a word to the wife of someone in power, but they bully easy targets like Kim Sae Ron, Wheesung, and even me. But now, since they need a new scapegoat, they’re trying to carry out a witch hunt against the young actor Kim Soo Hyun.” — Kim Bu Seon

She concluded the video by condemning the treatment of celebrities, arguing that celebrities were “powerless,” adding that the public outrage against such public figures is often misplaced.

“You are treating powerless, easy targets like Wheesung and Kim Sae Ron worse than serial 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ers when it comes to human rights. Do celebrities not pay taxes? Are they people who don’t have voting rights? We are also someone’s precious children and mothers, and we are equal human beings whose rights are guaranteed. There is no reason to treat us recklessly.” — Kim Bu Seon

Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun’s company has filed a lawsuit against Kim Sae Ron’s family for posting a compromising picture of the former on the internet.