From allegations to lost sponsorships: How things fell apart for Kim Soo-hyun

When Kim Soo-hyun faced dating rumors with the late actor Kim Sae-ron — allegedly when she was a minor — earlier this year, the incident seemed to derail the 37-year-old actor’s career once and for all, not to mention the irreparable blow it dealt to his pristine reputation.

Numerous projects and events were either canceled or pushed back indefinitely, including Disney+’s series “Knock-Off,” which was expected to be one of the platform’s most anticipated releases of the year. The series was originally scheduled to premiere in May, and there was no mention of the project whatsoever at Disney+’s recent press event, where next year’s lineup of Korean releases was unveiled.

Project delays are just one part of the crisis. Kim Soo-hyun is also facing a slew of damages lawsuits totaling more than 10 billion won ($6.8 million), filed by various companies that had signed him for advertising deals. Nearly nine months on, both his career and reputation remain in limbo.

But Kim Soo-hyun is not staying silent. Through legal counsel, he is firmly denying allegations that he dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.

The first of what is expected to be a series of damages suits from companies has now begun — and it wasn’t an immediate loss for the actor. A Seoul court has recently ordered Cuckoo Electronics and its affiliates, which filed a 2 billion won lawsuit against Kim Soo-hyun, to provide a clearer legal basis for their claim.

What are the latest updates to Kim Soo-hyun’s legal battles and how might they affect him? And most importantly, will we see him on screen again?

Courtroom battles begin

As the first of many legal disputes Kim Soo-hyun and his agency are set to face, the lawsuit filed by Cuckoo Electronics is one to watch closely, as it could set the tone for the actor’s other pending damages suits and may offer an early indication of how his career could unfold.

Earlier this year, Cuckoo Electronics ended its decade-long partnership with Kim Soo-hyun, suspended its advertisements featuring him and filed a lawsuit after he faced major public backlash over speculation about the timing of his relationship with Kim Sae-ron.

After more than half a year, the case’s first hearing took place on Nov. 14. While the court requested that the plaintiffs specify what actions by Kim Soo-hyun justified the contract termination, it also further questioned whether the plaintiffs intended to proceed with the civil case before any related criminal investigation concludes, including whether Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late actor when she was a minor — a fact that would need to be established for the allegations to hold in court.

Kim Soo-hyun’s side agreed with the court’s request for more detail, stating that Cuckoo Electronics did not clarify “what specific action [of Kim’s] violated the contract with the company.” They added that the company seemed to cite the inadequate response of Kim Soo-hyun’s side after the accusations were raised as a contract violation and asked Cuckoo to specify “which aspects of the response were inadequate.”

However, Cuckoo Electronics argued that the contract termination was not solely due to Kim Soo-hyun’s damaged reputation from the allegations. They added, “As we also claim a breakdown of trust as grounds for termination, we do not believe that the civil lawsuit should wait until the related criminal case is resolved.”

The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2026.

Based on the court’s request, a key issue for Kim Soo-hyun’s remaining damages suits is that he is currently only facing allegations — not legal convictions — of grooming or engaging in a sexual relationship with a minor. Until proven in court, he is legally cleared of charges.

This suggests that companies cannot rely solely on Kim Soo-hyun’s unproven allegations as grounds for terminating contracts, as the court noted that decisions must rely on confirmed facts.

So, depending on how Cuckoo provides specific details about its claims that Kim Soo-hyun breached trust, this could set a precedent for other companies considering legal action against him for compensation.

Following this, the actor and his agency are now also awaiting their first hearing for another damages lawsuit filed by a cosmetics brand on November 21, seeking 500 million won in compensation.

The criminal suits involving the actor are under investigation, but the courtroom dates have not yet been scheduled.

How it all started

The sudden death of 24-year-old Kim Sae-ron on Feb. 16 shocked the nation. However, on March 10, even more outrageous news came to light when her family revealed on the YouTube channel Hoverlab that she and Kim Soo-hyun had had a six-year relationship that started in 2015, when the late actor was 15 years old.

Since then, the fight over the truth has been ongoing, with both sides holding press conferences, posting online statements and videos and releasing KakaoTalk messages, personal photos, letters and journal entries on social media.

Along with the dating accusation, the bereaved family also claimed that financial stress Kim Sae-ron experienced due to penalty fees from her halted and canceled projects contributed to her death, saying she was additionally pressured by her then-agency, Goldmedalist — an agency that was founded in part by Kim Soo-hyun. Goldmedalist held an exclusive contract for Kim Sae-ron from 2020 until December 2022.

The late actor was caught driving under the influence after crashing her car and damaging several lampposts and guardrails in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on May 18, 2022. She was later fined 20 million won for her DUI case. After the incident, she stepped down from her then-upcoming role in the SBS drama “Trolley” (2022), as well as most of her scenes being cut in the Netflix series “Bloodhounds” (2023), based on the webtoon of the same name.

The actor had to compensate around 1.1 billion won, according to Goldmedalist’s statement, with 700 million won left unpaid, which was covered by the agency.

The family also took legal action against Kim Soo-hyun, filing a complaint for alleged violations of the Child Welfare Act and for false accusations, requesting an investigation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police through Law Firm Buyou, according to attorney Bu Ji-seok.

Kim Soo-hyun and Goldmedalist, on the other hand, denied all claims made by Kim Sae-ron’s family, calling them “completely false.” However, they confirmed that the two had dated in the past — a relationship that Kim Soo-hyun had initially denied.

He stated that he and Kim Sae-ron were romantically involved from summer 2019 to fall 2020, emphasizing that their relationship began after she reached adulthood at 19.

Regarding the claim of financial pressure, Goldmedalist denied the accusation, saying the payment notice was simply part of routine legal procedures.

Goldmedalist has also taken several legal actions against Kim Sae-ron’s family, Hoverlab and its operator Kim Se-ui, including defamation, stalking and compensation for damage.

The court sided with Kim Soo-hyun regarding his stalking complaint against Kim Se-ui. Due to the court’s order, Kim Se-ui is not allowed to produce content related to Kim Soo-hyun.

The agency additionally filed a damages suit worth 12 billion won against Kim Sae-ron’s family and Hoverlab, which was reported in April to have been assigned to a court division. The date for the first trial has not yet been set.

How is the public responding to the situation?

Currently, there are mixed responses surrounding the case. However, when the scandal first broke out, the public was outraged by Kim Soo-hyun’s alleged actions, particularly the aspects surrounding Kim Sae-ron’s age.

As criticism of the actor’s alleged underage relationship intensified, discussions also emerged around the protection of minors from sexual exploitation.

A petition to raise the age of consent to 19, dubbed the Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Act, garnered more than 50,000 signatures and was advanced to a parliamentary committee in the National Assembly for review. No further discussion has taken place. The age of consent was previously raised to 13 to 16 after the “Nth room” case in 2020.

However, as Kim Soo-hyun continues to refute the evidence released by Hoverlab — claiming it is fabricated or forged, and that the channel has not provided additional concrete proof — public sentiment has gradually shifted, with more people expressing support for the actor and saying they feel sorry for him.

In the Cuckoo case, comments like “Cuckoo Electronics should receive money from the bereaved families and Kim Se-eui [Hoverlab’s operator]” and “Going to boycott Cuckoo” reflect this sentiment.

Despite the ongoing division, a petition aimed at preventing the repeated spread of false information and protecting human rights, known as the Hoverlab Prevention Act, was launched in May and ultimately garnered over 70,000 signatures. The petition was referred to the subcommittee of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee for review the following month and has recently been submitted to the petition review subcommittee.

Will Kim Soo-hyun be able to return to the screen?

Well, the obvious answer depends on the legal outcome. If the court rules in his favor, there is a possibility that he will return, including the rescheduling of Disney+ series “Knock-Off.”

On March 21, The Walt Disney Company Korea said it has “paused plans to release” the crime series starring Kim and Cho Bo-ah, following the scandal. He was also filming the second season of the series, which was halted due to the actor’s scandal.

On the other hand, if it is revealed that he dated the late actor when she was a minor, his career could be severely impacted and he may have to take responsibility for his actions. However, experts note that he is unlikely to face legal punishment for statutory rape, as the legal age of consent was raised to 15 in 2020 — after Kim Sae-ron was 15 in 2015, when the alleged relationship began.

Even under such circumstances, a possible return cannot be entirely ruled out. Public perception will play a decisive role and Korea has seen cases where actors with more serious criminal records involving minors — including sex trafficking — have returned to the screen. Examples include actor Lee Kyung-young, who is set to appear in the third season of “Taxi Driver” (2021-) and Song Young-chang from “Squid Game” (2021-).

BY KIM JI-YE  [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]