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Popular actor Kim Soo Hyun, who has recently been embroiled in personal controversies, is now facing legal trouble from his advertising partners. According to YTN on Tuesday (April 29), two major companies have filed lawsuits against the star and his agency, Gold Medalist, seeking the return of model fees and additional damages.
The total amount claimed in the lawsuits reached approximately 3 billion won (around $2.1 million). Both brands had active endorsement contracts with the 37-year-old Kdrama actor when the dating scandal involving the late Kim Sae Ron emerged.
Alongside the two companies that have already filed lawsuits, other brands are reportedly preparing to take similar legal steps against the actor.
Among them, another brand is currently reviewing options to terminate its advertising contract with Kim Soo Hyun, citing broken trust. The firm is expected to demand the return of model fees or seek penalty payments through legal channels.
When talking to YTN Star, entertainment specialist lawyer, Park Sung Woo stated, “The industry knows that Kim Soo Hyun signed endorsement contracts with 15 brands. Based on domestic contracts, the model fees are estimated to be around 1-1.2 billion won (approximately) per contract.”
“Typically, advertisers are reluctant to make public the fact that they have filed lawsuits against models. However, if even one company files a lawsuit, more advertisers are likely to join in,” Park predicted.
Based on the known model fees, the amount of the lawsuit could exceed 10 billion won (6.9 million USD).
Actor Kim Soo Hyun has become embroiled in serious allegations involving the late actress Kim Sae Ron. This includes claims that they dated when she was underage and pressured her about debts.
Tragically, she took her own life on February 16, which happened to be his 37th birthday. Legal representatives of the bereaved family held a press conference and presented evidence of their alleged six-year relationship (2015 to 2021).
In response, the “Queen of Tears” actor held an emergency press conference to deny all accusations firmly and announced legal action against what he called false rumors. He has filed a damages lawsuit against the bereaved family, seeking 12 billion won.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun has not only lost endorsements but the release date of his big-budget “Knock Off” has also been pushed indefinitely. There have been reports that Disney+ officials are closely watching the outcome of legal proceedings and reviewing legal options. If they decide to take legal action, the potential penalty could be as high as 180 billion won, 3 times the budget of the series.