Kim Soo Hyun’s Scandal Affects His Endorsements

Kim Sae Ron, who started her acting career as a child star, tragically passed away by suicide at her home on February 16. Coincidentally it was also the birthday of actor Kim Soo Hyun. Kim Sae Ron had previously posted an intimate photo with Kim Soo Hyun on social media, leading to speculations about their relationship. Kim Soo Hyun’s agency initially denied all rumors, but the actor’s image has been severely dented.

YouTube channel, Garosero Research Institute, revealed explosive claims that it has access to confidential documents from Kim Sae Ron’s family. The evidence allegedly show Kim Sae Ron had secretly been in a relationship with Kim Soo Hyun since she was 15, even though he was 12 years older. Besides their intimate photos, the channel exposed messages in which Kim Sae Ron pleaded with Kim Soo Hyun over payment of her debt. One of the photos showed Kim Soo Hyun with his eyes closed, puckering his lips towards Kim Sae Ron. Although their lips did not touch, the gesture was very intimate, once again sparking a frenzy among netizens.

Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, issued an urgent statement on March 11, “These malicious accusations are false and intolerable. We are considering taking the harshest legal action against Garosero for spreading false information.” As the controversy continued, the agency responded again on March 12, reiterating their stance and stating that they would issue an official statement once they had organized and finalized a response.

Garosero did not back down in face of a legal battle, stating they hoped Kim Soo Hyun would publicly apologize to Kim Sae Ron’s family before they released further explosive revelations or else they would file a lawsuit.

As the situation escalated, Kim Soo Hyun’s image has been severely impacted. The well-known cosmetics brand Dinto was the first to respond, announcing that all scheduled activities with the actor would be suspended. Some Korean netizens noticed that a popular bakery brand appeared to distance itself from Kim Soo Hyun, removing promotional posters featuring his photo. Another beauty brand also commented, “All staff are currently confirming the facts and discussing the course of action.” As a result, they decided to temporarily postpone the actor’s activities.

Kim Soo Hyun’s upcoming Disney+ series Knock Off is currently filming its second season with a press conference scheduled for next month. The official response was low-key, stating, “The actors are currently filming as usual and the controversy surrounding Kim Soo Hyun has not affected or changed the production.”

Korean netizens are now requesting that Kim Soo Hyun be removed from G-Dragon’s variety show Good Day but the production team has yet to respond. Furthermore, a fan page for Kim Soo Hyun with 460,000 followers announced its closure on Instagram, “To the actor I once admired, goodbye.”

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This article is written by Kiki for JayneStars.com.