Actor Kim Sae-ron, who passed away last month, is alleged to have been in a relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun since his teenage years, and their advertisements in the Greater China region are being continuously halted.
According to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily on the 20th, Cuckoo Electronics' China branch posted a statement on its official Weibo (the Chinese version of X) account on the 18th, announcing that it would completely stop brand promotion activities related to Kim Soo-hyun. They have decided to replace Kim Soo-hyun's images on all official platforms, including Weibo, China's leading messenger WeChat, and its website, and to halt all marketing activities currently in preparation related to him.
Cuckoo Electronics said, "We take very seriously the incident involving our spokesperson (Kim Soo-hyun) that has recently captured public attention and express our deep concern," and added, "This decision is an immediate response based on market feedback and is to firmly uphold our brand values."
In Taiwan, the withdrawal of Kim Soo-hyun's advertisements is also continuing. According to the Taiwan China Times, Taiwan's 7-Eleven has reportedly stopped planned marketing related to Kim Soo-hyun for the '7-Eleven Kaohsiung Cherry Blossom Festival' scheduled from the 28th to the 30th. Originally, Taiwan's 7-Eleven intended to launch food products themed around Kim Soo-hyun and display his images at the entrances of stores across Taiwan.
Additionally, Taiwan's 7-Eleven was supposed to invite Kim Soo-hyun to hold a 40-minute exclusive fan meeting event on the last day of the festival, but this is also expected to be canceled. Taiwan's Mirror Weekly reported, citing sources, that Kim Soo-hyun may not attend the event, paying a penalty fee, and that the event organizers are also looking for a substitute for Kim Soo-hyun. The penalty fee that would need to be paid if Kim Soo-hyun decides not to attend is said to be 30 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately 1.3 billion won).
Kim Soo-hyun gained significant recognition in the Greater China region through the drama 'My Love from the Star,' which aired in 2013. Recently, allegations against Kim Soo-hyun have become popular search terms on Chinese social media.