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The legal saga surrounding actor Kim Soo-hyun has entered a high-stakes phase. Following the arrest and official transfer to prosecutors of YouTuber Kim Se-ui—the head of the Garo Sero Institute channel—civil damages lawsuits between Kim Soo-hyun and multiple advertisers are back in motion after months on hold. The Garo Sero Institute channel was one of the instrumental outlets in divulging the details around Kim Se-ron’s untimely death and unveiling the details about her alleged relationship with Kim Soo-hyun.
Which Brands Are Suing Kim Soo-hyun And Why?
The total civil damages claims against Kim Soo-hyun currently exceed 10 billion KRW (approximately 7.3 million USD), filed by multiple advertisers including FromBio, Cuckoo, Trend Maker, Classys, Eider, and Mido. All of these brands have either terminated or moved to cancel their endorsement deals following the controversy.
Chosun has reported that there is a 2.8 billion KRW lawsuit from cosmetics company Trend Maker (the operator of the brand Deinto), with a third hearing scheduled for July 3 at the Seoul Central District Court. Chosun also reported that a separate 3.96 billion KRW suit from health functional food company FromBio will have its third pleading session at the Suwon District Court on June 10, 2026.
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How Did The Controversy Around Kim Soo-hyun Start?
The crisis traced back to claims made by YouTuber Kim Se-ui, who alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor and that he had financially pressured her in ways that contributed to her death.
Police have since stated that the YouTuber fabricated these claims using AI-generated voice recordings and fake chat messages. Kim Soo-hyun’s representatives have consistently denied any relationship with a minor and disputed all allegations of contract violations. Both civil cases had been suspended since late last year pending the outcome of related criminal investigations—they resumed only after Kim Se-ui was officially arrested in late May and handed over to prosecutors on June 4, 2026.
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How Is Kim Soo-hyun Responding To The Allegations?
Following the arrest, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, publicly thanked those who stood by the actor during the long wait, explicitly confirming that the chat logs and AI voices weaponized against him were completely falsified. The actor is now planning to increase his own civil defamation lawsuit against the YouTuber from 12 billion KRW to 30 billion KRW. Separately, a Seoul court has already approved the provisional seizure of two Seoul apartments owned by Kim Se-ui.
On the career front, The Korea Herald reported that teh actor is reportedly scheduled to film a commercial for Philippine fashion brand Bench on July 14, marking his first professional industry activity in over a year.
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