Actor Kim Soo Hyun has officially resumed his career after a hiatus of one year and four months.
On July 14, Ben Chan, CEO of the Philippine fashion brand “Bench,” shared photos and behind-the-scenes clips from an advertisement shoot featuring Kim Soo Hyun on his personal Instagram account. The following day, on July 15, Chan expressed his unwavering trust in the actor by adding the caption, “Always in our ♥”.
In the photos, Kim Soo Hyun is seen smiling brightly while holding a large bouquet of flowers alongside Ben Chan. Other images capture him taking cheerful group photos with the on-site production staff. Chairman Ben Chan actively promoted the reunion by uploading a series of behind-the-scenes clips even after the initial shoot wrapped up. Kim Soo Hyun later shared these posts on his own Instagram account, formally signaling the resumption of his public activities.
The actor’s return follows a highly publicized legal battle that began in March last year, when allegations were raised regarding his past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron. Accusers claimed the relationship spanned six years starting in 2016, back when Kim Sae Ron was a 15-year-old minor. Furthermore, it was alleged that pressure from Kim Soo Hyun regarding debt repayment was a direct factor in her tragic passing.
Kim Soo Hyun firmly refuted these claims, clarifying that they only dated from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, well after she had become a legal adult. As the rumors persisted, Kim Soo Hyun held a press conference at the end of March last year to strongly deny the allegations of dating a minor, prompting both sides to take legal action.
During this period, Kim Soo Hyun’s career ground to a halt. Production and release schedules for his upcoming Disney+ original series Knock-Off were indefinitely suspended, and various brands filed penalty claims totaling 10 billion won (around 6.7 million US dollars) due to breached advertising model contracts.
However, the tide turned when Kim Se-eui, CEO of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (who initially drove the malicious rumors), was arrested on charges of spreading false information.
Police investigations revealed that CEO Kim had manipulated the voice of the late Kim Sae Ron using generative artificial intelligence (AI) and fabricated KakaoTalk chat logs presented as evidence. The court issued an arrest warrant, citing “a significant risk of evidence destruction and flight,” and subsequently rejected CEO Kim’s request for an arrest review.
The prosecution determined that CEO Kim had aired defamatory, false broadcasts 25 times and attempted to blackmail the actor’s agency by threatening to leak damaging materials if Kim Soo Hyun’s new project was released. The first formal hearing for CEO Kim is scheduled to take place at 10:40 AM on the 14th of next month.
