Kim Soo Hyun is at the center of growing controversy involving the late Kim Sae Ron, raising questions about whether he will proceed with his scheduled appearance in Taiwan.
On March 19th (local time), Taiwanese media outlet ETtoday reported that Kim’s participation in the Cherry Blossom Festival Season event in Kaohsiung—hosted by 7-Eleven Taiwan—is now uncertain. Originally, the actor was set to attend a press event and fan meeting, with special merchandise featuring his image, including food packaging, coffee cups, and cup sleeves, already in production. Additionally, 200 lucky fans had already been selected to attend this highly anticipated meet-and-greet.
A representative told ETtoday, “As of now, we are proceeding with the event as planned under the original contract. Should there be any changes, we will respond immediately and take consumer interests into account.”
Kim was slated to perform for approximately 40 minutes on the festival’s final day, sharing the stage with major stars from Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. However, industry insiders estimate that if he withdraws, he could face a contract penalty of around 30 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately 910K USD).
The uncertainty follows allegations surrounding Kim’s past relationship with Kim Sae Ron. On March 14th, his agency, Gold Medalist, issued a statement clarifying that the two dated from the summer of 2019 to fall 2020—only after Kim Sae Ron became a legal adult. The agency denied rumors that he had dated her while she was underage.
Adding fuel to the fire, the late actress’s family claimed that Kim had pressured her to repay debts, but Gold Medalist refuted the accusations, stating, “That is not true. The financial matter was strictly between Kim Sae Ron and the agency.”
Despite the agency’s statement, the ongoing back-and-forth with Kim Sae Ron’s family has cast a shadow over Kim Soo Hyun’s brand image. Several companies that previously endorsed him are reportedly deleting his images from their sites.
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