Actor Kim Soo Hyun is set to appear in court in November for the first hearing of a damages lawsuit filed by a cosmetics brand following the termination of his modeling contract amid personal life controversies involving the late actress Kim Sae Ron.
The 22nd Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court will hold the initial hearing on November 21 for the 500 million KRW (about 350,000 USD) lawsuit filed by Cosmetics Brand A against Kim Soo Hyun and his agency. The case comes seven months after the complaint was formally submitted in April.
In March, Brand A announced via its official social media accounts that it had decided to terminate its contract with Kim Soo Hyun, citing the importance of maintaining trust and integrity in its partnerships. “We found it difficult to take immediate action regarding the contract termination without first hearing the statements of Kim Soo Hyun and his agency,” the statement read. “After reviewing the agency’s position, we judged that there were serious reasons preventing the fulfillment of the advertising contract, and we have officially initiated the termination process through our legal representatives. This decision reflects our commitment to uphold the values of the brand and the trust of our consumers.”
The one-year contract between Kim Soo Hyun and Brand A was originally set to run until August 2025.
The controversy began in March 2024 when Kim Soo Hyun drew attention for posting a selfie with the late Kim Sae Ron, a former labelmate at Gold Medalist. The situation reignited public scrutiny of Kim Sae Ron’s past, including a 2022 drunk-driving incident in Gangnam that resulted in a 20 million KRW (about 14,080 USD) fine and a period of self-reflection. The issue intensified after the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute released content alleging a relationship and other personal matters involving Kim Soo Hyun and the late actress.
Kim Soo Hyun publicly addressed the allegations at a press conference later that month, denying them tearfully. Despite this, Garo Sero Research Institute continued releasing photos and videos related to his private life. In response, Kim Soo Hyun filed a lawsuit against the institute and Kim Sae Ron’s family for defamation and violations of information and communications laws, seeking 12 billion KRW (about 9.2 million USD) in damages.
As a result of the controversy, Kim Soo Hyun’s entertainment activities have effectively come to a halt. He reportedly faces lawsuits totaling approximately 7.3 billion KRW (about 5.1 million USD) from multiple companies, including Brand A, along with provisional attachments on assets, such as a 100 million KRW (about 70,000 USD) claim and a 3 billion KRW (about 2.1 million USD) attachment on a Seongsu-dong apartment in the Galleria Foret complex.
Kim Soo Hyun’s legal representative, attorney Go Sang Rok, has repeatedly refuted the allegations. On September 30, he publicly denied that Kim Soo Hyun had a relationship with the late Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor, releasing excerpts of about 150 diary-style letters Kim Soo Hyun wrote to his actual partner during his military service. Go explained that Kim Soo Hyun had a relationship from 2016 to spring 2019 and served at the DMZ search unit from January 2018 to July 2019, during which he maintained daily communication and letters with his partner.
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