Actor Kim Soohyun is officially making his return to the entertainment industry after being out of the spotlight for about a year and four months.
On July 14, he is scheduled to film a commercial and participate in a promotional photo shoot in South Korea for the Philippine clothing brand BENCH. This campaign will air exclusively in the Philippines and won't be released in South Korea, marking his very first public activity since his hiatus. BENCH, which first signed Kim Soohyun as its model back in 2024, decided to stand by him and renew its partnership despite the past controversy, drawing significant attention.
To understand why his return is gaining a lot of attention, let's take a look back at the major controversy surrounding him from March last year. Kim Soohyun ended up pausing all of his public activities after allegations surfaced claiming he had dated the late actress Kim Saeron when she was still a minor. His agency, Gold Medalist, did confirm that the two had dated in the past, but they strongly maintained that the relationship only started after she became an adult.
This controversy ultimately affected his advertising deals. Because of his sudden hiatus, the outdoor clothing brand Eider filed a 2.5 billion KRW lawsuit against Kim Soohyun and his agency, claiming the scandal ruined their brand image.
However, the Seoul Central District Court recently recommended a settlement. Following this suggestion, Eider lowered its damages claim from 2.5 billion KRW to 400 million KRW. The brand also withdrew its claim for damages regarding the public controversy itself, and is now only asking for the return of the remaining modeling fees left on the contract.
Moving forward, Kim Soohyun will likely focus on a slow return to the industry, starting with overseas markets where he has a massive, loyal fanbase.
The ultimate question now is what happens to the highly anticipated Disney+ original series 'Knock-Off.' Production was halted and its release was put on hold indefinitely due to the controversy, but word on the street is that Disney+ is closely monitoring the situation and actively coordinating its release schedule. Everyone in the industry is now watching to see if this overseas ad campaign with BENCH will help pave the way for a domestic comeback, or if public sentiment in South Korea will continue to impact his career.
