Despite the arrest of Garosero CEO Kim Seui on May 26, 2026, on defamation charges related to actor Kim Soo Hyun, court hearings between the actor and his former advertisers are set to resume.

Kim Soo Hyun and his agency Gold Medalist are currently facing damages claims totaling approximately 10 billion won from former sponsors.

On June 10, 2026, the third hearing will take place in the 14th Civil Division of Suwon District Court regarding a damages claim of 3.96 billion won filed by health functional food maker Frombio.

The case had been suspended for about eight months following the second hearing on October 22, 2025. The court notified both parties of the hearing date on May 27, the day after Garosero CEO Kim Seui was taken into custody.

All news about the scandal surrounding Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron

On July 3, 2026, the third hearing in the case between Kim Soo Hyun and Trend Maker (operator of cosmetics brand Dinto) will be held at the Seoul Central District Court. The claim amounts to 2.8 billion won. The lawsuit was filed in April 2025, with the second hearing taking place in March 2026.

The situation with other partners is as follows:

Classys: No direct compensation lawsuit has been filed, but the company secured the seizure of one of the actor's assets — a property in an upscale complex — as a provisional measure worth about 3 billion won. The grounds cited were violation of a morality clause in their agreement.

Cuckoo Electronics: Information about a direct lawsuit remains officially unconfirmed. Media reports have cited two possible damage figures: 2 billion won and 8.5 billion won.

Eider: No direct lawsuit has been filed; the contract has been terminated. The French sportswear brand announced the termination of its agreement in March 2025. No legal action has been taken to recover losses.

Mido: No direct lawsuit has been filed, and information regarding the contract is unclear. The Swiss watch brand has been mentioned among the actor's partners. Following the 2025 scandal, reports indicated Mido continued to feature videos of the actor. No contract termination or legal claims have been reported.

Following the scandal surrounding Kim Soo Hyun's private life in March 2025, linked to the death of Kim Sae Ron, many advertisers announced they were terminating contracts with the actor. One of the main channels amplifying allegations against the actor was the YouTube channel Hoverlab and the so-called Garosero Institute. They disseminated what they claimed was evidence of Kim Soo Hyun's relationship with a minor, Kim Sae Ron, including chat screenshots, audio recordings, and photographs. At one point, they even alleged an intentional attempt on the lives of Garosero staff in the United States.

During the investigation, police determined that audio files published by Kim Seui had been manipulated using AI, and that KakaoTalk exchanges between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were forged. On May 26, 2026, a court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Seui, citing concerns over possible destruction of evidence and flight risk. His request for a review of the arrest warrant was denied on June 2, and Kim Seui remains in custody.

He faces charges including violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation through spreading false information), violation of the Special Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes, violation of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Offenses (distribution of recordings taken with cameras, etc.), attempted coercion, and intimidation.

Parallel to the criminal proceedings, Kim Soo Hyun has filed a civil damages lawsuit against Kim Seui seeking 12 billion won and plans to increase the amount to 30 billion won.

Sources: 1, 2, 3