Actor Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, has emerged victorious in a lawsuit filed by watch brand Mido, which sought the return of a 570 million KRW (approximately 413,600 USD) advertising contract fee.
The Seoul Eastern District Court’s Civil Division 13 dismissed Mido’s claim against Gold Medalist on Thursday, as reported by Star News.
Mido had maintained an advertising partnership with Kim Soo Hyun since 2020, renewing their contract periodically. In November 2024, they extended the agreement by a year, investing 900 million KRW (about 653,000 USD) in model fees. However, when controversies surrounding Kim surfaced, Mido terminated the contract and sued for the return of roughly 570 million KRW (approximately 413,600 USD), corresponding to the unfulfilled period.
Mido contended that the controversy had diminished the model’s commercial appeal, justifying both the contract termination and the proportional refund of fees. Gold Medalist countered, arguing that the controversy stemmed from third-party allegations and did not constitute grounds for holding Kim contractually liable.
The court sided with Gold Medalist, ruling that Mido’s grounds for contract termination were insufficient.
This legal battle is just one of many Kim Soo Hyun is currently embroiled in, with damage claims totaling around 10 billion KRW (about 7.25 million USD) from advertisers including Eider, FromBio, Classys, Cuckoo Electronics, and Trend Maker.
Kim’s career hit a roadblock in March last year when controversies involving the late Kim Sae Ron emerged, prompting him to pause his acting and advertising commitments while pursuing legal action. Kim Se-hee, head of the HoverLab, persistently alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had been romantically involved with Kim Sae Ron since her minor years. However, Kim Se-hee was recently arrested and indicted for defamation based on false claims.
In a separate development, Kim Soo Hyun was cleared of allegations related to child abuse under the Child Welfare Act concerning Kim Sae Ron, with police deciding not to press charges.
Following these legal victories, Kim Soo Hyun has cautiously re-entered the spotlight after a year-long hiatus, kicking off his comeback with an ad campaign for a Philippine fashion brand and renewed social media engagement.