On November 21, the Seoul Central District Court, Civil Division No. 22, opened the first trial in the lawsuit for damages filed by cosmetic brand A against actor Kim Soo Hyun.
Previously, cosmetics A signed an advertising modeling contract with Kim Soo Hyun, expected to last until August this year.
However, when Kim Soo Hyun was rumored to be dating the late actor Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor, Agency A terminated the contract early in March, then continued to file a lawsuit for compensation in April.
During the trial, brand A claimed that the company suffered serious losses, because Kim Soo Hyun did not Maintain a properly image, and demanded a total compensation of 2.86 billion won, a significant increase compared to the initial figure of 500 million won.
In response, Kim Soo Hyun's side argued that "there is no provision in the contract that requires Kim Soo Hyun to maintain a proper image".
The actor's representative also affirmed: "The information that Kim Soo Hyun dated actress Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor is completely untrue.
They only dated when she was an adult. We do not understand why the relationship between two adults is considered a violation of the duty to preserve dignity."
Regarding the denial of dating rumors with Kim Sae Ron, the actor's legal representative explained: "At that time, the contract with the A brand did not exist. At a time when there was no advertising contract but Kim Soo Hyun denied the rumors, why was it considered a breach of contract obligations? ".
Regarding the increase in the compensation claim, Company A explained that "the advertising model contract stipulates that in case of breach of contract, the violator must pay double the model fee".
However, the court stated that it was necessary to reconsider whether the plaintiff's damage calculation was accurate or not, and requested that brand A provide more detailed evidence.
The second hearing of the lawsuit is scheduled for March 13, 2026.
Previously, another trial between Kim Soo Hyun's legal representative and a B electronics company involved in a contract damages lawsuit took place on November 14.
The brand asked Kim Soo Hyun to pay 2 billion won. However, the court noted that the validity of the civil compensation claim will depend on whether the allegations related to Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron are proven.
The court also questioned whether the brand intends to wait for the results of related investigations before filing a lawsuit against Kim Soo Hyun.
Meanwhile, the lawsuits filed by Kim Soo Hyun and his management company Gold Medalist against Kim Se Ui - owner of YouTube channel Garosero - and Kim Sae Ron's family, with charges of defamation, spreading false information, slander, harassment... are still being investigated and have no final results yet.
