K-drama star Kim Soo-hyun has found support from his Chinese fanbase amid mudslinging and controversies surrounding his alleged relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron in South Korea.
The 37-year-old Korean star’s Chinese fans are now rallying behind him, taking to streets and launching innovative campaigns in his support, while public scrutiny of the allegations leveled against him keep social media abuzz.
According to South Korean media reports, members of Kim Soo-hyun's Chinese fan club, KSHBar, recently marched the streets of Seoul in his support. The club has over a million members.
Soo-hyun’s fans have deployed around 25 LED trucks displaying messages of hope and the slogan ‘Truth Will Prevail’. The trucks also carry a quote from Soo-hyun: “I did not do what I did not do.”
The trucks were parked outside the Disney office in South Korea after Disney+ shelved the actor’s upcoming series Knock Off. A petition has also been moved to safeguard Soo-hyun’s reputation from what fans described as an online public trial.
Several cybercrime complaints were lodged with the Seongbuk Police Station in Seoul for targeting Soo-hyun with malicious comments and cyberbullying, per reports.
Earlier, Kim Sae-ron’s family accused the Queen of Tears actor of contributing to her tragic death by allegedly 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.
Soo-hyun was also criticised by netizens for allegedly putting pressure on the late actress to repay money to his agency, Gold Medalist, in 2023.
According to media reports, Sae-ron received a legal notice from Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist in 2023, demanding payment for damages caused by her in connection with a drink-driving case in 2022.
Denying the charges, the actor said, “It is not true that she had made this tragic choice because of me or my agency pressuring her over a debt.”
Kim Sae-ron, who gained popularity as a child actor, passed away on February 16, which coincidentally is Soo-hyun’s birthday. According to police reports, the 24-year-old star was found dead at her residence. Police said Sae-ron’s death was a suicide.
