Kim Soo-hyun returns to limelight to front Philippines clothing brand after year-long controversy

South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has returned to the limelight.

This comes after his year-long controversy involving the late actress Kim Sae-ron, whom he was accused to have dated while she was underaged.

He was cleared of the allegations in May this year.

Soo-hyun, 38, recently filmed a new campaign for Bench, a clothing brand from the Philippines.

Yesterday (July 14), Bench’s founder Ben Chan shared photos from their shoot with him with the caption “Always in our heart”.

A behind-the-scenes video was also shared by digital creator Miguel Pastor with the text “welcome home” written on it, where Soo-hyun is seen smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers as he posed for photos with the brand’s team.

He first endorsed the label in 2021.

In March last year, HoverLab, also known as Garo Sero Institute, released intimate photos of Soo-hyun and Sae-ron received from the latter’s family, claiming they dated when she was a minor.

Sae-ron had died of suicide aged 24 on Feb 16 last year, the same day as Soo-hyun’s birthday.

During a press conference on March 31 the same year, Soo-hyun, who was at the height of his popularity then from drama Queen of Tears (2024), broke down in tears as he claimed Sae-ron wasn’t a minor when they dated, adding the testimonies and evidence released by HoverLab were false.

In May this year, South Korean media reviewed an arrest warrant application and reported that the police concluded the materials released by journalist-turned-YouTuber Kim Se-eui on his YouTube channel HoverLab in 2025 are false.

Screenshots of chat messages and an audio file that Kim had released as “evidence” were fabricated, with the names in the chat log edited to Soo-hyun’s and the audio manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI), it said.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office filed an arrest warrant against Kim on May 20 on charges linked to alleged violation of the sexual crimes law involving illegal filming and distribution.

Media reports published in late June said he is on trial and held in a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Centre.

Soo-hyun’s Disney+ drama Knock-Off, which he filmed just prior to the controversy, was put on hold and a release date has not been announced.

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com

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