South Korean star Kim Soo-hyun is preparing to return to work in July, marking the end of a hiatus of over a year that coincided with the legal controversy surrounding Kim Sae-ron’s death.
On Sunday, his agency, Gold Medalist, shared a statement confirming that the actor is all set to shoot for a commercial with a cosmetic brand that has lodged a complaint against him and the agency last year over the termination of an endorsement contract contract that had been set to run through August 2025, claiming that allegations of an underage relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron had harmed its brand image.
This will mark his first project since his last drama, Queen of Tears.
Last month, Kim Soo-hyun was cleared of allegations that he dated the former actress while she was a minor. According to South Korean media reports, some of the alleged evidence was found to be AI-fabricated.
The complaint alleged that Kim Se-eui, operator of the controversial far-right YouTube channel HoverLab, knowingly spread false rumours about Soo-hyun and the late actress despite being aware of the discrepancies. Se-ui was arrested last month under the charges of defamation.
Last year, Kim Sae-ron’s family accused the 37-year-old actor of dating her when she was a minor. The actor dismissed the allegations in his first official statement regarding the controversy at a press conference last month.
Kim Sae-ron’s family had also accused Kim Soo-hyun of engaging in sexual acts with the former actress when she was 14, allegations that were later denied by Soo-hyun’s agency.
Kim Sae-ron, who gained popularity as a child actor, passed away on February 16, coincidentally Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday. According to police reports, the 24-year-old star died by suicide at her residence.
Kim Soo-hyun was among the highest-paid actors in South Korea before the recent controversy. Reports now suggest that actor Park Hyung-sik has surpassed him in earnings per episode.
Soo-hyun’s next drama, Knock-off, has been temporarily shelved amid the controversies and tensions involving Sae-ron's untimely death.