Other brands like bakery chain Tous Les Jours and Athleisure group K2 Korea have pulled advertisements with Kim Soo-hyun off their social media pages and official websites.
South Korean broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation’s variety programme Good Day, hosted by K-pop star G-Dragon, has also edited out Kim Soo-hyun’s footage from the show and will not be airing the individual recording session with the actor.
The production team of Good Day released an apology on Monday, saying: “First, we sincerely apologise for causing concern to those who have been watching Good Day. The production team is fully aware of the gravity of the controversy surrounding one of the cast members and is continuing production while prioritising the reactions of our viewers.”
“We believe that if the controversy surrounding the cast member continues, it could further damage the purpose of Good Day, which began with good intentions, as well as the sincerity of the cast members who have participated wholeheartedly and the love and support of our viewers,” they added.
Actress Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home on Feb 16 – which happened to be Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday. Her death came years after she was involved in a drink driving incident in 2022 which saw her career take a hit. The police later ruled her death as a suicide.
On Mar 10, Garosero Research Institute uploaded a video that alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a six-year relationship with the late actress that began when she was 15 and he was 27 and which ended in 2021.
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency Gold Medalist denied the claims in a statement the same day and added that they would be filing a lawsuit against the channel.
However, in the days that followed, Garosero Research Institute released more evidence of their relationship, including images of Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron, with some that show the former kissing the latter on the cheek, as well as a letter, dated Jun 9, 2018, purportedly written by Kim Soo-hyun and addressed to Kim Sae-ron.
Gold Medalist released a statement on Mar 14 where the actor admitted that he had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron but it only lasted for a little over a year and that it began after she became an adult, which Korean law defines as someone who has turned 19. He denied that the relationship took place when the actress was underaged.
The statement read: “Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after Kim Sae-ron became an adult.”
That would have made her 19 and 20 at that time, while he would have been 31 and 32.
