Kim Soo-hyun Involved in Legal Disputes with Long-term Advertisers as Feud with Late Kim Sae-ron Escalates to National Forensic Service

Legal Developments Surrounding Kim Soo-hyun and Recent Advertising Controversy

In April, an electronics company initiated a provisional claim amounting to ₩100 million (approximately USD 75, 000), which received approval from the Seoul Eastern District Court on May 20. Subsequently, the company escalated the matter by filing a full damages lawsuit, seeking ₩850 million (USD 637, 000) in compensation.

For the past decade, Kim Soo-hyun has been the face of the company’s rice cooker advertisement. However, following renewed allegations of a past relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron—who was underage during their purported association from 2016 to 2022—multiple brands have severed ties with him. In response to these developments, a medical equipment firm took action by filing a provisional seizure against Kim on May 8, which led to the court approving a ₩3 billion (USD 2.25 million) lien on his Galleria Forêt apartment.

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Representatives from Kim’s legal team at LKB & Partners have confirmed these sequestrations but have expressed their disapproval of advertisers penalizing Kim, perceived as a victim in this situation, instead of addressing the accountability of those disseminating false information. They lamented the discrediting of assertions made by the YouTube channel “Garo Sero Institute, ”which they believe unjustly influenced advertisers’ decisions.

In light of the Kim Sae-ron controversy, Kim’s legal team has sought a forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service (NFS) to ascertain if any digital evidence has been tampered with. Kim’s lawyer stated, “While we cannot directly commission the NFS, we have formally requested investigative authorities to verify if evidence was altered.”

Kim Soo-hyun is poised to make his debut in the upcoming Disney+ series “Knock-Off”, following his recent success in the drama “Queen of Tears”. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing controversies, his new projects have been postponed, and all advertising engagements have reportedly come to a standstill.

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