The brand lost a major claim.
35 minutes ago
This article is part of our coverage of Kim Soo Hyun And Kim Sae Ron’s Relationship. You can read more and view the entire timeline here.
According to the latest reports, actor Kim Soo Hyun, who practically disappeared from the public eye after he was accused of child sexual abuse over his alleged relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor, has secured yet another legal win amid the preparations for his full-scale return to the limelight.
Kim Soo Hyun
As per reports on August 27, KST, the Seoul Eastern District Court’s 13th Civil Division delivered a ruling in favor of Kim’s agency, Gold Medalist, in a ₩570 million KRW (about $413,000 USD) lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by a luxury Swiss watch brand, Mido, which signed Kim as an advertising model in 2020. Their contract was renewed annually afterward. In November 2024, the brand paid [krw[ 900 million [/krw] to the actor for a contract extension. However, after the controversy surrounding his alleged relationship and involvement in Kim Sae Ron’s death emerged, the watchmaker terminated the contract. They subsequently filed a lawsuit, seeking the return of [KRW] 570 million [/krw], the amount corresponding to the remaining contract period.
Mido argued that the contract was terminated due to the model’s commercial value being damaged by the controversy, and hence, the fee should be returned on a pro-rata basis. Gold Medalist countered this claim by asserting that the controversy stemmed from third-party allegations and that Mido had no legal grounds to hold Kim Soo Hyun contractually liable for it.
The court ruled against Mido, finding that the grounds for a contract termination were not met.
This ruling is being considered particularly significant, since the actor is currently being sued by several other advertisers, with the total claim amounting to around ₩10.0 billion KRW (about $7.24 million USD). Industry experts and the public are both curious to see if this set a precedent for all of Kim Soo Hyun’s upcoming legal battles.
Meanwhile, you can read about the allegations related to Kim Sae Ron against Kim Soo Hyun and its recent developments here:
Kim Soo Hyun Cleared Of Child Sexual Abuse Allegations Related To Kim Sae Ron