Certainly one of South Korea‘s most beloved and highest-paid actors, Kim Soo hyun, is at present on the centre of a scandal that has rocked his profession and public picture. Soo- hyun, extensively celebrated for his roles in hit exhibits like My Love From the Star and It is Okay To not Be Okay, is dealing with a public outage with many main manufacturers breaking ties with him.
The controversy erupted after allegations emerged a few previous relationship historical past with actress Kim Sae-ron when she was simply 15 years previous, whereas he was 27. Sae-ron, who died by suicide final month, was allegedly concerned with Soo-hyun at a really younger age and reportedly owed him a giant amount of cash.
In response to the rising backlash and decline in his fan following, a number of manufacturers related to Soo-hyun have minimize ties or are swiftly taking one step backwards with him.
Listing of Manufacturers Who Dropped Kim Soo-hyun
Kim Soo-hyun, 37, has been the face of greater than 18 main manufacturers from varied sectors, together with luxurious vogue, cosmetics, finance and retail. Nevertheless, following the general public outrage in opposition to him after the allegations, a number of high-profile manufacturers have ended their partnerships with him.
Among the many first to behave was Prada, the posh vogue model that had showcased Kim as its international ambassador. In line with reports, throughout a shopper chat, the corporate revealed that Prada had terminated its contract with the actor. A report printed by a Korean publication stated Prada launched a press release saying, ‘We want to inform you that after contemplating the severity of the problem, our collaboration with Kim Soo Hyun has been mutually concluded. The contract has been terminated.’
Shortly after Prada, Dinto, a vegan magnificence model that had labored with the actor for a number of years, additionally announced halting all Soo-hyun actions. Firm’s CEO Ahn Ji Hye stated in a press release on 11 March, ‘Presently, all deliberate schedules associated to the mannequin are on maintain.’
Following the swimsuit, Tous les Jours, which is a South Korean bakery franchise owned by CJ Foodville, additionally determined to take care of distance from the actor. In line with the corporate, they won’t be renewing their mannequin contract with Kim Soo-hyun, which expires this month.
K2 Korea, a South Korean athleisure group, has additionally eliminated adverts that includes the actor within the firm’s garments from its official web site and social media pages.
Different manufacturers, comparable to Shinhan Financial institution, Eider, Aekyung Group, and Cuckoo, have swiftly moved towards reducing ties with the actor by eradicating his presence from locations like adverts and social media.
Social Media Backlash
Past the manufacturers, Kim Soo-hyun, can also be dealing with extreme criticism from his followers. His Instagram following, as soon as over 21 million, dropped by virtually a million as many followers unfollowed him in protest. His social media posts have been flooded with important feedback, and photographs exhibiting companies eradicating his promotional supplies has gone viral.
Kim Sae-ron’s household alleged that Kim Soo-hyun pursued a relationship with the actress when she was simply 15 years previous whereas he was 27. This has sparked a wider debate amongst the general public, with many accusing the actor of profiting from Sae-ron’s younger age.
Additional complicating the controversy, one other allegation in opposition to the actor is the declare that Kim Soo-hyun’s company, GoldMedalist, tried to extort cash from Kim Sae-ron after their breakup. After Kim Sae-ron handed away in February 2025, studies suggesting that she died by suicide underneath the strain of owing Kim Soo-hyun cash additionally began gaining momentum.
Will Kim Soo-hyun’s Profession Survive the Backlash?
With the continuing backlash, many ponder whether Kim Soo-hyun’s profession can recuperate from this scandal. The swift motion from manufacturers and the overwhelming response on social media recommend that the injury to his status is critical.
As soon as the sequence of private images of Soo-hyun and Sae-ron leaked on-line, exhibiting them up shut with one another, the actors’ company launched a press release on 14 March confirming that there was certainly a relationship. The statement stated, ‘Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron had been relationship between the summer time of 2019 and fall of 2020 after she grew to become an grownup. It isn’t true that Kim Soo Hyun dated her when she was a minor.’
With new developments each day, and that too not in favour of Soo-Hyun, it is evident that the scenario has turn out to be actually intense for the actor. The reply as to whether he can recuperate from this controversy relies upon not solely on his authorized standing but additionally on how he publicly addresses the allegations.
