Park Seo-joon’s nonchalant Instagram update gains attention following being dragged in Kim Soo-hyun’s controversy

Park Seo-joon was unexpectedly dragged into a controversy involving Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron after his March 17 Instagram post mentioning "garo."

On March 19, Park Seo-joon posted several pictures of his pet dog, Simba, on his Instagram story. Some netizens interpreted it as the star's unbothered and nonchalant stance after unnecessarily getting dragged into Kim Soo-hyun's controversy of dating the late Kim Sae-ron.

It all began on March 17, 2025, when the actor posted photos from Chanel's Paris Fashion Week event. In the caption, he wrote:

"What did you do in Paris? Garo"

In Korean, "garo" also means "horizontal" and on March 17, the political media YouTube channel, Garosero, speculated that The Marvels star took a jab at actor Kim Soo-hyun.

The news of Kim Soo-hyun allegedly dating the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor was brought forward by Garosero on March 10, 2025. Since then, the channel has continuously released new photos and text screenshots from Kim Sae-ron's family to corroborate their allegations against Kim Soo-hyun.

Now, on March 17, Garosero linked Park Seo-joon with the ongoing controversy and questioned his friendship with Kim Soo-hyun following his Instagram post. Garosero claimed in their YouTube livestream (March 17) that the two actors are known to be friends as Kim Soo-hyun reportedly helped him to get his first agency.

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Why did Garosero question Park Seo-joon's friendship with Kim Soo-hyun amidst Kim Sae-ron's controversy?

The YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, known for its exposés on South Korean celebrities, was the first to notice Park Se-joon's caption. They speculated that the term "garo" was a reference to their channel.

Additionally, Garosero pointed out that Kim Soo-hyun had previously been nicknamed "YouTuber Kim Paris." The channel claimed that The Marvels actor's mention of "Paris" was a subtle nod to this moniker. These speculations were made via the Garosero YouTube livestream on March 17, 2025.

Kbizoom reported that Garosero host and CEO, Kim Se-ui, also revealed that he commented on Park Seo-joon's Instagram post. He said,

"I even left a comment there. I support Park Seo-joon. Their friendship is truly weaker than a piece of paper."

Furthermore, in the livestream Garosero brought forward additional information about how Kim Soo-hyun reportedly helped Park Seo-joon get signed with his first agency, KEYEAST.

In October 2024, Park Seo-joon appeared on Jung Jae-hyung’s Fairy Jae-hyung YouTube talk show. The actor recalled getting discharged from his military in 2010 when Kim Soo-hyun introduced him to the CEO of KEYEAST.

“After I was discharged, a friend of a friend, who was close to Kim Soo-hyun at the time, made a request on my behalf. They asked if it would be possible for me to meet with the company (Kim Soo-hyun’s agency), and Kim Soo-hyun gladly arranged it.”

The Itaewon Class actor continued:

“On the day I went, the CEO immediately brought up the contract. He handed me the contract, confidently saying, ‘This is a standard contract, but if you’re uncertain, you can consult a lawyer.’ Since it was my first time visiting an agency, I told them I would review it and get back to them. The company was so big that, in the end, I signed with them.”

Garosero brought this up to highlight that Park Seo-joon allegedly doesn't seem to share a camaraderie with Kim Soo-hyun despite their past association. Currently, Park Seo-joon is signed under Awesome Entertainment.

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The backdrop to this situation involves Kim Soo-hyun accused of having a relationship with Kim Sae-ron when she was 15 in 2015 and he was 27. These allegations led to the termination of several brand deals with Prada, Dinto, Homeplus, Eider, and more.

Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, has denied these claims, stating that the two were not in a relationship when Kim Sae-ron was 15. The agency first denied all allegations of dating only to change their statement on March 14 and stating that the two dated from 2019 to 2020 when Kim Sae-ron was an adult.

Kim Sae-ron committed s*icide on February 16, 2025, on the same day as Kim Soo-hyun's 37th birthday. The actress was 24 years old.