The participation of actor Kim Soo-hyun in a Taiwan event has come under threat amid allegations of underage dating concerning the late Kim Sae-ron, embroiled in the so-called "grooming controversy." Following the termination of advertisements and entertainment projects, as well as overseas events, the situation continues to deteriorate.
On the 19th, the Taiwanese media ETtoday reported that there is a crisis regarding Kim Soo-hyun's participation in the cherry blossom festival season event hosted by Seven Eleven in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
According to the report, Seven Eleven originally invited Kim Soo-hyun to hold a meeting and fan meeting event. Products featuring Kim Soo-hyun's image, such as fresh food, coffee cups, and cup sleeves, were set to be released, and 200 fans were selected to attend the meeting.
Kim Soo-hyun is reported to be scheduled for a 40-minute performance on the final day of the festival, which is the highlight. However, given the ongoing grooming controversy surrounding Kim Soo-hyun, proceeding with participation is not an easy matter. A local brand representative explained, "Currently, we are proceeding with the event as per the original contract, and if there are any changes in the future, we will respond immediately and handle it appropriately considering consumers' rights."
If Kim Soo-hyun's participation falls through, a penalty will have to be paid. The local industry estimates that Kim Soo-hyun's penalty could amount to 30 million Taiwanese dollars (approximately 13.227 million won).
Kim Soo-hyun is currently embroiled in various allegations surrounding the death of the late Kim Sae-ron. Following the death on the 16th, the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute" claimed that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship from 2015, when Kim Sae-ron was a minor, until 2021. It was also alleged that after the late Kim Sae-ron was involved in a drunk driving accident in 2022 and faced hardships, there was pressure to repay the 700 million won borrowed to manage the accident.
Kim Soo-hyun's side rebutted the claims from 'Gaseyeon' and the bereaved family, stating that they did not date while Kim Sae-ron was a minor and that they had never requested repayment after fully writing off their claims against Kim Sae-ron. In particular, Kim Soo-hyun's side stated, "We believe that publicly debating the matter is inappropriate for both the late Kim Sae-ron and her mother, who sought any means to restore her honor. Our management team would like to meet with you and provide sufficient explanations. Please feel free to contact the Gold Medalist office at any time."
Following the emergence of negative public opinion surrounding Kim Soo-hyun, the advertising and entertainment industries have opted to sever ties. Aesthetic brands, cosmetics brands, food service brands, and health supplement brands that selected Kim Soo-hyun as their model have deleted Kim Soo-hyun's photos from official channels and transitioned advertising videos to private. Additionally, MBC's program "Good Day," in which he is appearing, has also switched direct fan cam footage to private.
Kim Soo-hyun's advertising model fee is estimated to average between 700 million won and 1 billion won per year. There are forecasts suggesting that Kim Soo-hyun may have to pay a penalty of around 20 billion won, as he is active as a model for about 15 corporations in sectors such as banking, fashion, and retail.
[OSEN]