'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On March 17, 2025, India Times reported that Disney+ series Knock Off, starring Kim Soo-hyun and Jo Bo-ah, reportedly got postponed amid swirling controversies surrounding its lead male actor. The $41 million production, initially slated for release in the first half of 2025, now faces uncertainty.
In early 2025, reports alleged that the late actress Kim Sae-ron was in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun. The actress's aunt made the first allegations against the 37-year-old star that the two had a relationship while Kim Sae-ron was still a minor.
YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute (@Hoverlab) then interviewed Kim Sae-ron's family via live broadcast, which further revealed several photos and screenshot messages.
Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, GOLD MEDALIST, has denied this, claiming that they started dating after Kim Sae-ron became an adult.
Trending
Knock Off is a black comedy series directed by Park Hyun-suk. It chronicles the transformation of Kim Sung-joon from an ordinary office worker to a kingpin in the counterfeit goods market during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The series features actress Jo Bo-ah as the female lead.
The controversy has cast a shadow over the production, with sponsors expressing reservations about their association with the project.
India Times reported that Safety Zone Korea, a prominent sponsor, expressed concerns regarding the scandal and its impact on their brand.
Social media was abuzz with netizens calling for the cancellation of the upcoming series. One X user wrote:
"What do they mean "postponed"?? They should cancel the entire show and have him pay for damages and time wasted"
Several netizens discussed that due to the ongoing controversy, Disney and the sponsors might have been losing a lot of money. They called the production house to "sue" Kim Soo-hyun "for damages."
"What a massive waste of time and money. I feel bad for everyone involved in this project. Well, almost everyone," a fan wrote.
"We are sorry for Disney and the co-stars he worked with for this show. But it would be best for them not to air it anymore," another fan wrote.
"Then, Sue him for damages let him lose all the money he made by using his power everywhere," another fan added.
Others said that the show should be cancelled as postponing it would mean that at one point Kim Soo-hyun would complete the filming and make a potential comeback with this series in the future.
"So they going with delayed, that cancellation is gonna happen, just a matter of time. Or they will air it without any promo, it's not finished anyway. Filming was scheduled til May if I'm not mistaken...no idea why there were news last week,filming was over," a fan noted.
"HIGHEST PAID ACTOR BECAME THE HIGHEST FALL OUT OF INVESTORS, BRANDS, AND PRODUCERS. If only he is a good person in real life.. but no, dirt have been exposed," another fan wrote.
"Cancel and let him pay the damages its his fault. He’s rich he can pay. But feeling sorry for his co star and the team production," another fan said.
What is the controversy about Kim Soo-hyun allegedly dating late Kim Sae-ron?
On February 16, 2025, BBC reported that the Bloodhounds actress, Kim Sae-ron, was found dead in her apartment. The police found the body at 4.55 PM (KST) and ruled it as a s*icide.
On March 10, 2025, the late actress's aunt claimed that the Queen of Tears actor dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. As per the aunt's allegation on the Garosero channel, Kim was 27 when he started dating the actress, who was 15 at the time. The relationship allegedly lasted from 2015 to 2022.
Following this, Garosero held a YouTube livestream and interviewed the Bloodhounds actress's mother, who also made the same allegations.
Several photos of the two were released by her family, which showed Kim Soo-hyun kissing the cheek of Kim Sae-ron, and more.
The family accused the actor and his agency, GOLD MEDALIST, of putting financial stress on Kim Sae-ron and asking her to pay them 700 million won (around $485,000).
This amount was paid by the agency paid as a penalty as per the court's order when Kim Sae-ron was booked for drunk driving in May 2022.
Pinkvilla reported that the South Korean media outlet, Dispatch, questioned GOLD MEDALIST about the 700 million won.
The agency told Dispatch that they sent her the legal notice for debt clearance as a mere procedure and Kim Soo-hyun never intended to collect that amount.
"We had no intentions of receiving money from Kim Sae Ron. We thought we wouldn’t get it. We only followed basic procedures because there could have been a case of malpractice brought up."
Reports suggest that GOLD MEDALIST admitted to not informing the late Kim Sae-ron that the document was a mere formality and they weren't going to sue her.
"From what we know, her manager got in contact with her at that time. We needed the documents for it. She was told the company paid out the compensation. We knew we couldn’t get such a large amount from her. We told her she could pay it back when she brings in a profit for the company or when she can afford it."
Currently, GOLD MEDALIST denied the accusations and changed their original statement. The agency now claims that Kim Soo-hyun only dated Kim Sae-ron after she turned 21.
The Korea Times reported that GOLD MEDALIST on March 14, 2025, that Kim Soo-hyun dated the late Kim Sae-ron for one year between 2019 and 2020.
