Although initial accusations that Kim Soo Hyun dated the late actor Kim Sae Ron since she was a minor shocked her, the lack of concrete evidence and growing doubts about the accuser's reliability have led to a gradual change in public opinion.
On social networks and in the press comment section, many people suspected that Kim Soo Hyun was wrongly accused. Commentaries like Kim Soo Hyun has been cleared, Is it an arrangement? , "Will the knock-Off finally air?" has gone viral, signaling increasing interest in the actor's ability to return.
The controversy began when Kim Sae Ron's family and YouTube channel Garosero announced that Kim Soo Hyun had been dating Kim Sae Ron since 2016, when she was 15, and the relationship lasted 6 years.
However, according to a recent investigation by the Korean media, Kim Soo Hyun had a 3-year relationship with another actress, named A, from 2016 to 2019.
A is a friend of the same management company, and it is reported that Kim Soo Hyun often wrote letters to A during his military service.
Other reports say that Kim Sae Ron dated many people as teenagers, including rumors related to singer WOODZ and a former national athlete.
Notably, a photo was released as evidence of Kim Sae Ron's underage relationship with Kim Soo Hyun, which has been proven to be a photo taken with an iPhone 11 - a phone model released after Sae Ron turned 19.
In addition, Garosero's claim that the owner of Kim Sae Ron's recording was stabbed in the neck nine times in New Jersey (USA) has been denied.
The man later changed the story to a wound to his right arm, while the medical report only mentioned injuries to his right shoulder and left arm.
The Korean consulate in New York (USA) also confirmed that there has not been any recent case of a Korean citizen being arrested for committing a crime such as attempting to murder a compatriot living abroad.
These developments have caused the public to strongly shift their attention to supporting Kim Soo Hyun, with comments like "You can't destroy someone based on unfounded accusations", "None of Garosero's statements are correct".
Despite public opinion's shift, Kim Soo Hyun's "Knock-Off" series on Disney+ has been postponed. The series has a production budget of up to 60 billion won, part 1 is waiting to air and part 2 is almost completed.
Choi Yeon Woo, Regional content director at Disney Korea, said, "Since the decision to postpone the release, we have not had any new updates. We are still considering this issue internally. This shows that Disney+ may be waiting for legal clarity before deciding to release the film.
Meanwhile, For the Star to Bring You Here, one of Kim Soo Hyuns most iconic dramas, has started airing on Brazils SBT channel and is planned to be re-aired in Taiwan (China), proving that Kim Soo Hyuns international reputation is still very strong.
Kim Soo Hyun is currently suing the YouTube channel operator GaroSero and Kim Sae Ron's family for defamation, demanding 12 billion won in damages.
While public support for Kim Soo Hyun is rising, the final outcome will depend on the legal process.
Industry insiders believe the decision to release Knock-Off will be made after the courts ruling.
