Actor Kim Soo-hyun is embroiled in allegations of dating a minor, causing deep concerns in the broadcasting industry.

Recently, the YouTube channel "Garoseoro Research Institute" (abbreviated as Gaseyeon) claimed based on tips from the late Kim Sae-ron's family that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron from 2015, when she was a minor, until 2021 for over six years, and he has been entangled in allegations of "grooming crimes."

Additionally, Gaseyeon alleged that Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Goldmedalist, pressured him to repay 700 million won borrowed for accident recovery after the late Kim was involved in a drunk driving incident in 2022, despite being on hiatus due to financial difficulties.

In response, Goldmedalist stated, "This is a clear falsehood," and noted, "We are considering the strongest possible legal response to Gaseyeon's dissemination of falsehoods."

However, following this, Gaseyeon released photos of skinship between the late Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun, as well as letters believed to be sent by Kim Soo-hyun to Kim Sae-ron during his military service, continuing the revelations daily. Kim Soo-hyun's side stated, "Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron dated from the summer of 2019, after Kim Sae-ron became an adult, until the fall of 2020."

Additionally, regarding the 700 million won, they said, "If our company were to arbitrarily bear the penalty that Kim Sae-ron should bear, it could lead to our company executives being liable for business embezzlement, and there was a concern that the expenses would not be recognized as deductible for the company." They further stated that efforts had to be made to secure the company's claim against Kim Sae-ron.

However, public opinion regarding Kim Soo-hyun worsened over time, and the advertising and broadcasting industries began to turn their backs on him one by one. The aesthetic, cosmetics, restaurant, and health supplement brands, which Kim Soo-hyun was modeling for, deleted his photos from their official channels and made their advertisements private.

MBC's entertainment program "Good Day," in which Kim Soo-hyun was appearing, ultimately decided to edit out his appearances. Despite the controversy surrounding Kim Soo-hyun, the "Good Day" team included him in the recording as scheduled on the 13th and he appeared in some scenes together with the cast in the broadcast on the 16th, leading to continued public criticism.

As calls for the program's cancelation arose, the "Good Day" team stated through their official account on the 17th, "We recognize the gravity of the controversy surrounding our cast member and are continuing production while prioritizing viewer responses."

Regarding Kim Soo-hyun's participation in the recording, the production team said, "Due to the unexpected delay in 'Good Day' music recording from what was planned, we waited for an official position from Kim Soo-hyun's agency regarding the controversy. However, given that the agency plans to make a statement next week (as of March 13), and that securing the schedule for the cast member would be difficult afterwards, we had no choice but to proceed with the recording after much consideration." They added, "After careful discussion, we proceeded with the recording and sketch filming considering the possibility of deleting his portions as much as possible and minimizing overlap with other cast members. We sincerely apologize for causing concern to those who love 'Good Day.'"

Furthermore, they stated, "As long as the controversy regarding the cast continues, we believe that the purposes of 'Good Day,' which began with good intentions, and the hearts of the cast members who genuinely participated, as well as the love of viewers who sympathized and supported, may continue to be harmed." They added, "The content of the 'Good Day General Assembly' was filmed on February 18 and will be developed over the next 6 to 7 episodes, and we have decided to edit out Kim Soo-hyun's segments as much as possible. Kim Soo-hyun's individual recording process will not be aired on March 13."

Alongside 'Good Day,' Kim Soo-hyun's upcoming project, "Knock-Off," has also been hit hard. Currently, the production team of 'Knock-Off' is said to have completed filming for Season 1 and is proceeding with filming for Season 2 as scheduled, and a production presentation scheduled for next month is also reportedly in preparation.

However, as the controversy escalates and public sentiment overseas is also reaching its lowest point, Kim Soo-hyun's attendance at the production presentation is becoming uncertain, and there are forecasts that the cancellation of the program may need to be considered.

Consequently, the corporations that sponsored the production of "Knock-Off" are also expressing concerns. In relation to this, the "Knock-Off" team stated regarding changes in the public release date, "We have nothing to say," conveying a cautious position.

As Kim Soo-hyun's controversy continues, the advertising and broadcasting industries have been severely impacted, and attention is focused on how Kim Soo-hyun's side will respond moving forward.

[Photo] OSEN DB

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