Disney+ Officially Postpones April Premiere of K-drama Knock Off as the Kim Soo Hyun Allegedly Dated Underage Kim Sae Ron Scandal Continues with More Lawsuits and Dirt Reveals
A lot has happened in the last few days so hold on to your hats, I’ll do my best to summarize the mudslinging from both sides – Kim Soo Hyun‘s agency Gold Medalist and Youtuber Lee Jin Ho versus deceased actress Kim Sae Ron‘s family and Youtube channel Garo Sero Institute. First off, Disney+ has officially postponed/delayed the release of high profile big budget K-drama Knock Off starring Kim Soo Hyun which season 1 was supposed to air next month in April. No word on the changed released date. Fragrance company Jo Malone has followed Prada in also terminating its recently signed contract with Kim Soo Hyun, as well as Korean brands Dinto and CUCKOO. It’s been 10 days since this scandal broke over the allegations from Kim Sae Ron’s family, delivered through a close family friend she called an aunt, to tabloid channel Garo Sero Institute – the allegations were Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron when she was underaged at 15 years old starting in 2015, denied any relationship in 2024 when she posted the picture of them thus painting her to look attention seeking and crazy, and also contributed to her post-DUI stress scandal when his agency Gold Medalist (that he owns) sent a legal letter to her demanding repayment. To these original allegations, GM has admitted the two dated but denied it was when she was underaged and for the repayment demand claimed it was standard legal protocol to avoid accounting impropriety but the agency never had any intention of actually making her repay it. This is it guys, these are the allegations and denials on the table. Everything else since then is either additional evidence from Garo Sero to prove the underage dating allegations and from Kim Soo Hyun and GM to try and add additional allegations to try and muddy the waters.
Case in point, the latest reveal is a phone recording that Lee Jin Ho released that is allegedly of Kim Sae Ron earlier this year speaking with an agent where she says she is married to a Korean-American in NY and also had an abortion. Even if this is true, it has nothing to change the original allegations that Kim Soo Hyun dated her starting when she was 15. C-netizens and K-netizens went to work right away and found that the recording had been manipulated with cuts and edits, so that’s that. And the guy who recorded the call was a former GM manager and he’s come out and stated that he never authorized Lee Jin Ho to release it. GM has also sued Garo Sero for invasion of privacy in releasing the Kim Soo Hyun pants-less (i.e. not wearing long pants, he’s either bottom naked or wearing shorts/boxers) washing dishes in Kim Sae Ron’s apartment picture, proving that the picture is him. But to date GM has NOT sued either Garo Sero or Kim Sae Ron’s family for defamation and libel for saying Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron when she was underage, and honestly that would be the first lawsuit to file since it makes him a pedophile if true. And sadly, the more that is released about Kim Sae Ron’s behavior or actions or whatnot in recent months or years, it further validates that she was emotionally messed up from being a child and dating a dude in his late twenties who is 12 years older than her. And yes, a 15 year old is still a child, a teenager is still a child just an older child. It’s really depressing for me to read more about this news because I love Kim Soo Hyun’s acting so much and he was one of my favorite actors but all the evidence released so far is hard to deny that he was a pedophile for dating 15 year old Kim Sae Ron.
He’ll survive,a lot of Hollywood star dated underage girls,like 1)woody Allen he was 40 Christina Engelhardt was 16 2)Bret Michaels was in mid 20 dated Tracy Lewis 16 years old at the time.he even wrote Every Rose Has Its Thorn for her. I don’t remember more,but I’m sure there’s more examples.
@Loulou, if he survive staying on the same level status , he will be very lucky and celebrities should go to sign with his agency too survive as well just in case … South Korea isn’t Hollywood , and even Hollywood is being more cautious about this kind of topics . Woody Allen survive thanks to Europe which welcomed his movies ( i must admit that i like his movies ) , there are lot of celebrities who date openly really young women but not minors . Dedades ago , Charlie Chaplin was into teen actresses but back then women were treated as merely objects ,legendary singer Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13 years old cousin …Roman Polanski,…and DiCaprio who never dated someone over 26 years old…
That era, many people are not aware of the situation. There was no social media and main form of disseminating information is newspaper or at movies or the radio. The process is slow, censorship is much controlled, and space is so limited. As we get technological innovation progress in leaps and bounds like in our era. Now, it’s harder to hide skeletons in closet. The network is lightning fast and vast thru the internet. I think this is/are a factor/s why these people you mentioned was not widely known. Especially those you mentioned till DiCaprio.
What I don’t get is… his fans downplaying the effect of manipulation and grooming. Right now, there is Justin Bieber as an example. JB is literally living through hell every day with his demons. Everyone now acknowledges what has happened to him. He didn’t choose to self-exit but his battle is uphill climb.
Yup precisely. (Unfortunately) KSH’s career will be fine. He isn’t in any legal trouble – everything being accused is on moral grounds only. He’s a top star and after a few years, he’ll be back like nothing happened. We have a lot of examples in Korea itself. LBH, LJW, LJJ, Jang Hyuk, JJH were all cancelled at some point for different reasons. Reality is in Korea, men can come back regardless of what they do particularly when the courts can’t decide against them and they are as big as some of the guys I mentioned.
He’ll probably have some sort of career but it will only be a fraction of what it once was. He could probably do web-only or Channel A or TV Chosun or some supporting role in movies.
I think what is most challenging about his situation versus the aforementioned actors is that the moral crime in question involves a dead actress – a former child actress who starred in the award-winning The Man from Nowhere, which was also Won-bin’s last movie. KSH wasn’t involved with a 15-year old idol or some non-celeb that people could forget. KSR’s death day is now forever linked with his birthday (or maybe Gold Medalist will whip out a birth certificate saying KSH had a different birthday after all…)
Maybe time for Knock-off to borrow some of that cdrama AI Face Swap technology.
@prettyautumn – highly doubt that. KSR is as known for her DUI as she is for her movie 15 years ago. It’s fresh right now and it seems like there’s no way he’d get back to the top. Except I felt the same with LBH who not only cheated on his very popular wife, but also got blackmailed by the ones he cheated with. I thought he’d at least drop from being the absolute top actor except he didn’t. Men have far too much leeway in this country and even if we all want to see all these jerks fall, I don’t see that happening. KSH will unfortunately be fine in a few years and by that I don’t mean supporting roles or TV Chosun. But maybe I’m just pessimistic after watching actors get away with almost anything in the past 20 years. I’ll believe it when I see it.
@Bee
Lee Byun Hoon cheated on his wife, but he wasn’t alleged to being a pedophile. Majority of the world doesn’t care about cheating, because it’s people personal life.
Can y’all,please stop compare completely different cases? How you even can compare pedophiles and cheaters.
JJH smoked weed, Lee Jung Jae got 2 DUIs (it’s really ridiculous how people who crying about KSR and hate train because of her DUI saying another actor should be cancelled for his DUIs 25 years ago. For notice, everything else spreading about him either false rumors which were debunked in Korea more than a decade ago, either misinformation and mistranslation).
I don’t know about Jang Hyuk, but among other actors mentioned here only LJW can be compared with KSH by the level of the crime. Stop comparing every scandal you heard of with KSH case.
Kim Soo Hyun is a top actor in Korea, highest paid, more nominated etc etc. Because of that he getting more attention than other actors. And his scandal is getting way bigger attention than some others.
If he would be some support actor I guess he would recover quickly from it. Majority of people who hating LJJ and LBH, barely mentioning support actors Song Young Chang and Oh Dal Soo. One was catched on paying 16 yo for sex in 2000, another one admitted sa women. Both filming in a lot of dramas as support roles, and not like people know, or care about them, because they’re not popular top actors (you yourself probably didn’t know about these two, but knew about JJH smoking weed, and LBH cheating his wife. I myself accidentally found out about them).
But if this is popular main lead, this will be way more noticeable for majority, and he will be hated and cancelled.
I herself still didn’t made mind about this case (but with more and more information coming it’s hard to find explanation in which KSH isn’t a bad person). But I think I can assure you, for such big star like KSH his career as an actor are over. I think he will be like Seungri. Forbidden on tv, but living fine life.
IF he “survives” through all the allegations, and they’re actually true, how will people continue to watch him woo women on screen when we know he’s wooed a literal CHILD???? And she DIED.
Not sure. K-ent isn’t Hollywood. Kdrama fans have little overlap with Hollywood fans either. Hollywood fans are more lenient on celebs’ scandals. Kdrama fans, like most fans of other Asian entertainment, worship stars on an unrealistic level that holds the idols to almost perfect image. As much as Kdrama fans love their fave actors, these fans also trash them for mere flaws found in their private lives.
KSH may not be legally guilty of pedophilia or have any sorts of misconducts, but more likely he won’t be as popular as before. This huge scandal should mark the beginning of the end to KSH’s heyday. Given that he’s past his prime time in terms of age and there are always up and rising younger actors to replace his status for fans to idolize. I’m pessimistic about his career prospects going forward.
Now they are bringing also late Sulli into all this mess because of her movie and explicit scenes with him . At this point, he should take strong legal actions for defamation or retire for sometime . If he is innocent , i don’t understand his agency strategy ‘s to get away with it .
I hated the movie when I saw clips of it…it was like a sex fantasy movie.. so creepy.
But Sulli’s brother’s comment is interesting…he has so much to say but he cannot.
This guy isn’t just a pedophile – he’s a monster who drove KSR to death.
The amount of ugly media play he’s been doing mirrors that of the most morally bankrupt politicians.
Can they leave her alone?! Even if she got an abortion, is that any of our business? This Lee Jinho guy deserves to be in jail or go bankrupt for everything he’s done. At this point, I just want her to be able to rest in peace. All these adults are grimly. Even her mom releasing that handwritten letter feels so performative. You should’ve protected her when she was alive and let her have a normal childhood. Now you’re trying to get sympathy points from the public? As for KSH, glad he’s losing all these adults CFs. I have no interest in ever seeing him on screen again. Even if he did wait until she was of age, it doesn’t change anything. He was still heartless and cruel when she was down.
Do you think it might get axed out of existence or maybe be released much much later? Like I don’t see his scandal dying out anytime soon. Whether it is spread much in Korea or not, the international audience seem to be heavily impacted by the scandal and might not gel with him continuing his career and success. Pedophilia can be a big turn off for a lot of people even if some Hollyweird people have committed such acts before. In his case she was 15 supposedly and that is just not going to be spinned ok no matter what people agree or disagree with. This is just so crazy. I hope they figure things out rationally but in todays age that is hard.
Disney releasing a drama where the lead actor is a pedophile is very awkward.
Apparently according to PinkVilla, we’re going to get an apology from KSH’s side…but only after they lay out the case that they didn’t have anything to do with her death. If the PinkVilla article is correct,
(https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/kim-soo-hyuns-agency-is-preparing-sincere-apology-evidence-of-key-actions-leading-to-kim-sae-rons-death-report-1378484)
“As per them, apologizing before explaining themselves would automatically mean acceptance of the allegations made against them. As per them, it was “impossible” for them to prove that the actors did not date when Kim Sae Ron was a minor, and thus, they were focusing on finding situations or actions that might have led to her death. They accepted that if Kim Soo Hyun paid a visit to Kim Sae Ron’s funeral home and assured her mother, saying that they didn’t have to worry about the debt repayment notice of the late actress, the “hell might not have unfolded.””
Huh? So they are moving from
– categorically NO they never dated TO
– actually they did date but only when she was of age ie 2019-2020 TO
– it’s impossible for us to prove that they didn’t date when she was a minor???
So they did “date” then? Why did it take them this long to tell the truth? It just shoots holes in their credibility?
People are talking as if he’s already guilty of any alleged crimes. I don’t want to judge that since keyboard judges have repeatedly proven themselves more likely to be bullies on bandwagons than morally blameless. So, what right do we have to judge another human being without going through legal processes? That being said, KSH’s career is done if he doesn’t take any legal actions to clear his name. I don’t see how he can justify and exonerate himself from pedo nametag if not suing any defamation. He just appear pretty fishy about his claims of innocence.
As to Knock Off, I still remember vividly how his fans were so hyped up by this big budget project of him. I checked all his dramas after watching Moon Embracing the Sun that is still one of my all time favorite dramas, but didn’t find that much appeal from his acting in other dramas besides METS. It’s a shame the premiere of KO is put off indefinitely or may not be even aired and Knock Off turns out to be a Knockout (just as KO implies in boxing LOL.) I did not have much anticipation of KO before the scandal broke out simply cuz the genre and the era/setting of the drama aren’t that interesting to me. Still, it must be a huge loss to the production team, the cast, and Disney+ given the time, efforts, and money already invested if KO is really KO (pun intended LOL).
I was hyped up about Knock Off, now I wondering if it can be refilmed with another actor. But I guess majority of scenes were filmed with KSH. To be honest, I still want to see a drama, at least a pirate copy of it.
What about KSH, I think his reputation and career is over, I doubt he would clean from it.
Sad for him if he’s truly doomed, but not sad for me as his one-drama fan. Kdrama has such a large pool of acting talent. I just think his high status will be easily replaced and fans won’t miss him much. He will be forgotten very soon.
@somebody, his fan base is so powerful. I saw on x there are petition signatures up to 10k now. I read that he’s considering suing the family and Garo for pedophile rumors. If he done it right away, people won’t be talking about him as a pedo for so long. But he waited too long for the sake of of respect for the bereaved family. Not sure if I buy that statement from him
@olyessa, I don’t know if his career will be dead for sure since he has so much backing in the industry. The k media reports him favorably and from what we saw, when he talks, he will trend in top naver search but when ksr’s family talks, none of that trended and that made sense why 100 media outlets didn’t want to help her family.
@Rolling stone
I think trends can be manipulated. If KSH discussed everywhere on other social media (by koreans I mean, not by international k-drama fans), I don’t see why people wouldn’t be interested to read family’s response. It’s not even about moral, people just love gossip and spelling the tea, they would want to read more information about the case.
I didn’t check trends on Naver, and assuming it only by your comment. I don’t know what kind of articles trending there, so I just spelling my thoughts without any serious evidence of manipulations.
But by seeing how his face removed from endorsements in Korea, I think, no matter which articles are popular, response on him is mostly negative.
What about media didn’t want to help her family, I think it’s not if they wanted to help or not. They didn’t want to get sued by KSH. This is why some of the media said to family “Let’s someone to write about it first, and we’ll follow them”. Because the first one will be sued for defamation in the case something would went wrong. While another just need to post articles “X journalists said that about KSH”, “YouTube channel Garo Sero posted that and that about KSH”, as they’re not telling it themselves, but quoting someone, as it’s not them accusing him to something. It’s way easier to write articles about B celebrity or not so rich one, than about mega rich celebrity who can hire lawyers and sue you for defamation.
Again, it’s just my thoughts without any evidence to prove this opinion. I don’t know much about journalists work and defamation cases, I just assuming it.
@Somebody, i agree, as i said before with so many talented actors i will not miss him, even if isn’t guilty , his image is tarnished , if he gets away with all of it, it would be unfair for others celebrities who were cancelled for less than that . What is sad ,is that people who worked hard filming a drama are affected by his behavior .
Disney will sue. They are already loosing large sums on Snow White. This will be another hit to their bottomline…they will sue. Get ready KSH to be in the poor house yourself, but hopefully someone will show you grace where you did not give to KSR.
KSH is far too rich to be in the poor house. The best one can hope for is for him to have no career. But he’ll be living the rest of his life like a chaebol even if he has to pay Disney and CF penalties. This is not his first heyday at the top.
For me personally, it is his behaviour that is appalling. Dating a minor is a major no when you are in your late twenties, but the coldness and indifference after the dating is really telling about his true nature. If it is true that he also has been part of the harassing of KSR, then he is just one big narcissist. Showing pictures of his gifts on his birthday, knowing she just committed suicide, not showing up on her funeral, publishing news that one of their actors has also been in the accident (which is trying to throw the poor guy under the bus now)…and with the new allegations at her address just to save themselves. It’s really disgusting behaviour to me. I cannot even stand to see his pictures right now, let alone watching his dramas where he pretends to be a naive, innocent dorky guy…just yuck!
I will agree with your comment. It is his behaviour that is appalling. Yes, he is a very talented actor but no compassion says a lot. She was crying out for help girl, for you to assist her when she received the letter. She was at a loss, don’t know what to do and you had your agency had no mercy. Whether you have money or not, love is very important. As 1 Corinthians 13 1 – “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” You have all the money and fame in the world, but showing how cold and dismissive you are towards a person that has lost everything – You are nothing. The family only want an apology from you. Be a Man.
Didn’t Jay Chou date and married his wife and she was very young too? It happens the other way round for example Macron n wife.
As a french, i agree with you, the relationship between Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron stills unclear, he was his student, but started later a relationship as he pursued her , she got divorced and married him . She is the target of many malicious comments , tabloids,…even Trump made a sexist joke about her when he should just shut up as his wife is younger than him and is a cheater ! Brigitte and Emmanuel are a solid couple since years now, time will tell…People who met her said that she is kind, smart,very cultured , elegant, and into anti bullying and violence in school, she was the one who contacted Black Pink for the concert of Le gala des pièces jaunes which benefits are for the families and the children hospitalized , she was the first french president’s wife to do it,the previous ones Carla Sarkozy and Bernadette Chirac only contacted one or 2 french artists !
The Macron issue is an entirely different ballgame though.
– Emmanuel was 14, “Brigitte” was at least 39 years old.
– Even if 15 is the legal age of consent in France, the exception is if the adult is in a position of power (i.e. “Brigitte” was Emmanuel’s teacher in school). Hence, it’s statutory rape.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Regarding the malicious comments in tabloids, I think it’s very important to carefully review the details they’re presenting before deciding if it’s slander or not. Several people have been sued for defamation NOT for the substance of their arguments but for small mistakes in how they presented their arguments.
Xavier Poussard has released his book Devenir Brigitte (Becoming Brigitte) and it has been at the top of Amazon’s bestsellers. He has never been sued for libel, slander or defamation and that’s very, very telling on the veracity of his claims.
The case of Emmanuel Macron and “Brigitte” is a heartbreaking case of pederasty, grooming, and possibly incest. On a much larger scale, it means compromising on the interests and sovereignty of France because those who have much to hide exposes themselves to blackmail on a national scale. This explains too the abhorrent opening of the Olympics last year.
For English-speakers, I highly recommend the Candace Owen’s Becoming Brigitte deep dive (introduction, six episodes, and epilogue) on YouTube to see for yourself if it’s just a wild conspiracy or actually something else.
@Snails
Candance Owens is the worst. If you are recommending her, your post is questionable, and it is definitely a salacious, tin foil hat wearing conspiracy.
I don’t agree with incest , as for the adult ‘s position power i do agree, actually in France there is a Commission of Inquiry into violence committed in the entertainment industry chaired by Sandrine Rousseau , various agents, managers, directors, actors,…were heard …all this begin with Judith Godrèche ( french actress), Adèle Haenel who was sexually abused by a director when she was a minor, Sara Forestier,…even Sophie Marceau said that when she did the movie “Police” in 1985 with Gérard Depardieu she was kind of abused even by the director but back then she was so young that people didn’t want to listen it . But even at a young age she was someone strong minded and she learnt how to deal with it . after she became famous and they didn’t dare to do anything !
The difference between these cases, KSH didn’t marry anyone.
If he and KSR would be married, I think many people would judge (probably me included, depends on how much details I would know about it), but I doubt he would be cancelled.
It’s hard to criticise it when partner looks okay with it.
Like Aaron Taylor Johnson and his wife. Many people criticising her, but he showing love to her and said something like “we are happy together”,and what people can do with it
Best post on internet
“I’m an American. I have been watching it from a PUBLIC RELATIONS , crisis communications perspective.
From that perspective, putting aside morals, etc, these are his and his agencies PR missteps.
lying in 2024 after KSR posted the cheek to check photo on IG. You can avoid admitting something put you should never lie in a pr statement, because if the truth comes out, you will lose trust and credibility.
I don’t think there are many if any female executives at Gold Medalists. His fan base is majority women, but the statements come across without empathy, harsh, and concern primarily about KSH survival. They contradict the male leads he has played in Queen of Tears, and It’s Okay Not to be Okay, who put the care and safety of the romantic partners first. Placing themselves in danger to protect them.
Lying and threatening to sue when the first Youtube video came out with the “aunt.”
I would have advised him in 2024, knowing she has photo and other evidence of him, to offer a financial settlement to her and get her to sign a confidentiality agreement never to discuss the relationship. Then I would have put out a statement about “KSH personally speaking with KSR who he had known for over a decade as an industry colleague, Gold Medalists artists, and friend for over a decade to resolve any misunderstanding. They had a healthy conversation and resolved all misunderstandings. KSR is a talented actress who has been deeply reflecting on her past mistakes and KSH sincerely hopes that in the future, KSR will be able to once again share her talents with the world.”
If he had done that in 2024 he would not be in this situation in 2025. Even giving her a billion won would have been worth it.
Hubris, misogyny and stupidity have brought him and Gold Medalists to this point.”
I agree somewhat with this. If they faced the actress when she tried reaching out to them long ago this mess would have probably never been in existence. From the sound of it they communicated very badly with her. But it’s the parents and random aunt who are claiming this and since the actress is now passed it just makes everything more complicated. Him and his agency messed up big time for it to get this bad period. Pride comes before the fall. What happens in the dark will eventually come to light. No one in today’s age is untouchable and under the radar for too long. We have been seeing this lately with American celebrities as well like the Blake lively fiasco unfolding before our eyes as the days go by.
From another perspective, it was said to be open secret that they are dating but no media will report it because they have powerful backers.
These people are just too arrogant and powerful, they will likely know that KSR/family holds much evidence of the relationship but it doesn’t matter because they are confident that no one will help to expose them.
You mean, “Best post on the internet to cover up your scummy decisions and avoid punishment for them?”
Seriously???
From a PUBLIC RELATIONS perspective, Don’t Sleep With Underage Girls, is the best advice and post on the internet.
@kokuto that is why I partially agreed. I in no way agree with him hooking up with an underaged but my cousin also was young and dated a twenty something once upon a time when she was a teen with parents knowledge too and it wrecked her a bit after she fell out with him but she moved on and changed for the better when she left him. It sucks but it is actually a normal occurrence than most acknowledge but I in no way think it is right. The fact that it was a known hidden secret truly makes things even more questionable for the entertainment circle there like are they the only ones who this has occurred with probably not. It all is just super shady from the parents to the actor involved and the entertainment circle as a whole.
I am glad some of the folks here are appalled by his actions. On allkpop and even on some weibo posts, I see a lot of his supporters bashing Garo and KSR’s family and saying how they stand by KSH. They keep emphasizing how Garo has not provided any legit evidence he dated a minor and it is all just trash talk. And, his pedo fans think he will be able to clear his name very soon given how lenient Korean showbiz is to Korean men and they think he will be able to make a successful comeback. Knock off probably will air at some point once this scandal settles. I read that his team has bribed certain blogs and folks to post good things about him on major social media platforms like weibo, IG and X.
The way this is unfolding is really nasty and not right
The latest I heard are that there are very intimate photos of both of them, of which the YouTuber is holding back and if revealed will also affect KSR image – what’s the purpose of all these?! If they were dating, whatever intimacy between them is personal and private – society should not have privy to these on whatever high moral grounds whether it’s vanilla sex or kinky sex – pls consenting adults have their choices – so here it is – The only contention is dating or sleeping with a minor – it’s a simple is it legal for KSH to do so, if not , then charge him and penalise as per the law. Even if it’s not a crime, it’s up to the market to decide if he still has a career or not rather than keeping up with these reveals that do not respect the dead at all and milking her for publicity which is totally nasty