As of March 12, Jeju Air has removed all traces of actor Kim Soo Hyun from its advertising materials, including decade-old commercials, in response to allegations surrounding his past relationships.
According to OSEN on March 12, Aekyung Group, the parent company of Jeju Air, has set its 2015 advertisements featuring Kim Soo Hyun to private. The airline had previously enlisted Kim, a prominent Hallyu star, to promote its brand in the Asian market. He served as Jeju Air's face for a year, appearing in print ads, online and offline videos, and even on aircraft interiors and exteriors.
While Jeju Air has not officially stated the reason for hiding these advertisements, industry insiders speculate that the decision was influenced by the recent public backlash following the passing of actress Kim Sae Ron.
Kim Soo Hyun has been an ambassador for various brands, including Homeplus, Shinhan Bank, Tous Les Jours, Dinto, Eider, Cuckoo, Prada, Jo Malone, and Shabu All Day. In light of the controversy, several brands have taken swift action to distance themselves from the actor.
K2 has removed all traces of Kim Soo Hyun from its official website and social media accounts, while Shabu All Day has deleted all photos of him from its official SNS platforms. Homeplus has removed his image from its app loading screen. Meanwhile, beauty brand Dinto stated, "All planned schedules related to the model have been put on hold." However, Dinto's CEO added, "We will wait and see, focusing on what we can and must do rather than reacting to unconfirmed claims."
The controversy erupted after the YouTube channel 'Garo Sero Research Institute' uploaded a video on March 10 titled "Kim Soo Hyun's Six-Year Relationship with Kim Sae Ron Since She Was 16." The video featured claims from a relative of the late actress, alleging that Kim Soo Hyun had been in a long-term relationship with Kim Sae Ron since her teenage years. Furthermore, Gaseyeon accused him of cutting ties with her and demanding a large sum in damages following her drunk driving scandal.
Despite these being one-sided claims, Kim Soo Hyun has faced a flood of criticism online. However, many netizens argue that the situation requires further scrutiny before drawing conclusions. In response, Kim Soo Hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, has firmly denied all allegations, stating, "These are clearly false accusations," and declaring plans to take the strongest possible legal action against defamation.
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