“A Victim, Yet Told to Return the Modeling Fee,” Kim Soo-hyun Appeals Ruling Ordering Him to Return 1.1 Billion Won to Advertiser

[Financial News] Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s side has been ordered by a court to return around 1.1 billion won to an advertiser for losses incurred during the period when the brand he represented suspended its advertising.
According to legal sources on the 13th, the Suwon District Court’s 14th Civil Division, presided over by Judge Moon Hyun-ho, ruled partly in favor of FromBio, a company specializing in health functional foods, in its damages suit against Kim Soo-hyun’s side, ordering the defendants to pay the plaintiff about 1.1598 billion won.
FromBio signed an advertising contract with Kim Soo-hyun in October 2024 and hired him as a model. However, in February of the following year, it stopped using the ads after Kim became embroiled in controversy over allegations involving the late Kim Sae-ron, who had been a minor at the time.
FromBio said it had suffered losses because its brand image was damaged and filed a suit last May against Kim Soo-hyun and his agency, seeking 3.96 billion won in modeling fees, penalties and other amounts.
The court said, “The allegations in this case prevented the defendant from maintaining a positive and trustworthy image, making it impossible to promote the product,” and ruled that Kim Soo-hyun’s side must return the modeling fees for the period when the ads could not be used.
However, the court found that the damage to Kim Soo-hyun’s image was primarily attributable to a third party’s dissemination of false information and other factors, making it a force majeure circumstance under the contract. It ruled that his side was not liable for penalties or other payments for breach of contract.
The court appears to have taken into account, among other things, that Kim Se-ui, head of the YouTube channel HoverLab Inc., was indicted while in custody on charges of spreading false information about Kim Soo-hyun in connection with the controversy.
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Goldmedalist, challenged the first-instance ruling and filed a notice of appeal. Kim’s side said, “We cannot possibly accept requiring a victim of the crime of spreading false information to return the modeling fee,” adding, “We plan to vigorously contest this issue on appeal.”
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter