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K-beauty brand pulls Kim Soo Hyun ads amid Kim Sae Ron dating scandal; what will other endorsements do?
Brands associated with Kim Soo Hyun are re-evaluating their partnerships with the actor amid the dating controversy surrounding him and the late Kim Sae Ron.
Kim Soo Hyun is currently under fire for allegedly being in a romantic relationship with Kim Sae Ron when he was 27 and she was just 15. Further allegations involve his agency GOLDMEDALIST going back on their words and demanding the 700 million KWN DUI settlement amount back from the actress. Amidst all these, the actor's career, including his advertisement deals, seems to be under threat.
Several brands have reportedly declared their stance regarding the matter.
Vegan beauty brand Dinto's decision has gone against the Queen of Tears actor, as reported by D Newsen on March 12. Its CEO, Ahn Ji Hye, who selected actor Kim Soo Hyun as a brand ambassador on August 1, 2024, announced on her social media on March 11, "Currently, all planned schedules related to the model are on hold."
According to her, the decision was reached after all their employees verified the facts and collectively discussed the appropriate course of action.
Two other brands have also informed of their future plans regarding the actor, as reported by K-Media News1. According to industry sources, Homeplus, a retailer that recently appointed Kim Soo Hyun as its model, opted to maintain its partnership with the actor, adopting a wait-and-see approach. A Homeplus representative stated, "Since there are no objectively confirmed facts yet, we are going to observe the situation and review it carefully."
Referring to the Kim Sae Ron dating allegations as "unverified," they confirmed "there hasn't been any change" in their plans of working with him as of yet.
Outdoor apparel brand Eider also intended to uphold its contract with Kim Soo Hyun. An Eider representative commented, "There are no final decisions yet, so we don't have anything additional to communicate." Even though they decided to continue with their scheduled activities with the actor currently, they will decide on their future together based on how things fare for the actor as the controversy advances.
Kim Sae Ron's aunt accuses Kim Soo Hyun's agency of attempting to rip actress off of 20 billion KRW after DUI case
