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Actor Kim Soo Hyun who is in the eye of a storm, both on a professional and personal front, following a controversy kicked up over his alleged relationship with late actress Kim sae ron. Since reports claimed that he dated the late star while she was still a minor, Kim Soo Hyun has been dropped as the face of multiple brands. Now, reports state that he may face additional financial penalties exceeding 180 billion KRW over the reported suspension of his upcoming drama series ‘Knock-Off’.
According to a report on allkpop, the release of the highly anticipated show, which was scheduled to release next month, has now been postponed. The 18-episode drama series was originally planned for a two-part release and had already completed filming for its first season, with the second expected to wrap by next month. However, production has now been put on hold due to the lead star’s controversy with Kim Soo Hyun.
Knock-Off is said to be a large-scale production with a budget exceeding 60 billion KRW (USD 41 million) for both seasons. A significant portion, estimated at around 500 million KRW (USD 341, 354) was paied to the actor per episode for his appearance fee, totalling an estimated 9 billion (USD 6.14 million) across 18 episodes, or around 15% of the total production cost.
If the drama is cancelled entirely, Kim Soo Hyun could be liable for damages ranging from 18 billion to 180 billion KRW. Additionally, he may face further financial repercussions from endorsement contracts. With his annual endorsement fee reportedly around 700 million KRW as per contract, penalties from advertisers could exceed 22 billion KRW (approx. USD 15 million).
The controversy erupted following allegations that Kim Soo Hyun dated fellow actress, the late Kim Sae Ron, when she was a third-year middle school student in 2015. Further accusations claim that the actor and his agency, Gold Medalist, pressured the actress into repaying a 700-million-KRW debt. Initially denying the dating allegations, Kim Soo Hyun later admitted to being in a relationship with the actress, but claimed that they were an item only between 2019 to 2020, after she became an adult.
On March 27, Kim Sae Ron’s family held a press conference, releasing alleged text messages from 2016 that Kim Soo Hyun sent to her, including one that read, “Give me a real kiss later. Is that forbidden too?” The release of these messages has intensified public scrutiny and raised questions about the future of the actor’s career and possible legal drama set to unfold.
