Actor Kim Soo-hyun is facing scrutiny from the retail industry, which selected him as a model, following allegations that he was in a romantic relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron. Although Kim Soo-hyun's team has stated that they will pursue legal action, claiming the allegations are baseless, they are closely monitoring which way public opinion may sway.
On the 12th, according to the retail industry, the vegan beauty brand "Dinto" has put all schedules related to Kim Soo-hyun's modeling on hold. An Ji-hye, the representative of Dinto, noted, "All employees have been discussing how to confirm the facts and the direction of our response." She added, "Currently, all scheduled plans regarding the model have been put on hold." It has been reported that all photos of Kim Soo-hyun have been removed from K Village, the official website of K2 Korea Group, and its official Instagram.
Other retailers utilizing Kim Soo-hyun as a model are also in a quandary. Currently, Kim Soo-hyun is active as a model for more than 10 brands, including Eider (K2 Korea Group), Shabu All Day, Dinto, Homeplus, Shinhan Bank, Tous Les Jours, Cuckoo, Prada, and Jo Malone. A retail industry insider stated, "We plan to observe public opinion and then decide whether to halt advertising or how to modify remaining plans."
This controversy arose after the YouTube channel Garo-SEO Research Institute revealed a photo obtained from Kim Sae-ron's family. The family and the Garo-SEO Research Institute claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron from November 2015, when she was a minor, for six years. In response, Kim Soo-hyun's team maintains that these claims are unfounded.