A recent legal analysis has cast doubt on whether actor Kim Soo-hyun will be held accountable for a ₩5.8 billion advertising lawsuit linked to allegations of a past relationship with actress Kim Sae-ron. Despite the swirling controversy, legal professionals believe that the claims are unlikely to result in financial penalties for the actor.
In a YouTube video released on May 2 by Entertainment President Lee Jin-ho, attorney Kim Kyung-nam from the law firm For You examined the legal ramifications. The lawyer focused on the core issue: whether Kim Soo-hyun could be deemed responsible for damages due to his alleged involvement with Kim Sae-ron when she was underage.
Kim explained that even if such a relationship did occur, it may not have breached any legal or contractual conditions. According to South Korean law at the time, only relationships involving individuals under the age of 13 were considered criminal, making the allegations more ethically controversial than legally actionable.
Furthermore, the lawyer stressed that advertisers must demonstrate actual harm caused by the scandal. Mere public outrage is not sufficient; they must prove the ads suffered measurable damage due to Kim’s actions and that he acted with intent or recklessness, a legal hurdle that is difficult to clear.
The timeline also plays a critical role. If the relationship began after both parties were adults, any resulting scandal may reflect more on those spreading the rumors than on Kim himself. Attorney Kim even suggested that the originators of the claims—possibly Kim Sae-ron’s family or controversial figure Kim Se-ui—could face legal consequences for defamation if the allegations are found to be false.
As speculation continues to swirl, Kim Soo-hyun’s legal team has remained silent. However, with the burden of proof now shifted to the advertisers and rumor-spreaders, legal experts maintain that unless hard evidence surfaces, the actor is unlikely to be held financially or legally responsible.