South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun has won a lawsuit filed by Swiss watch brand Mido. The brand had previously sought the return of advertising fees due to allegations that he dated Kim Sae Ron when she was underage.
On Thursday (August 27, 2026), the Seoul 13th Civil Division issued a ruling on Mido's lawsuit against Kim Soo Hyun's agency, Gold Medalist. Kim Soo Hyun was ordered to pay 570 million won in damages.
However, the court rejected all claims from the plaintiff, the Mido watch brand. They believed that Kim Soo Hyun's commercial value was tarnished by the scandal and the circulation of evidence shared by Kim Se Ui, aka the YouTuber behind the Garosero Research Institute channel.
In response, Gold Medalist asserted that the allegations made by YouTuber Garosero Research Institute were false. Therefore, the contract with Mido cannot be terminated due to any fault on Kim Soo Hyun's part.
Attorney Bang Sung Hoon of the law firm LKB & Partners, who represents Kim Soo Hyun, spoke out. He told Dispatch, "Mido unilaterally withdrew the advertisement after receiving false accusations."
"The court ruled that the termination of his modeling contract was not due to Kim Soo Hyun's fault," the lawyer stated. He also expressed optimism that Kim Soo Hyun would win the lawsuits filed by other brands.
"I believe this ruling will have a significant impact on other cases as well," he added. To date, several other lawsuits are pending, requiring Kim Soo Hyun's agency to pay damages and penalties for terminating his advertising contracts.
Besides Mido, the lawsuits also include Cuckoo Electronics, Classys, Dinto, Eider, and FromBIO. For your information, Mido first chose Kim Soo Hyun as its advertising model in 2020. And in 2024, the Swiss watch brand paid 900 million won to extend his contract for another year.
That same year, allegations surfaced that Kim Soo Hyun had dated Kim Sae Ron while she was underage. Mido eventually announced that they would terminate their advertising contract with the agency and then filed a lawsuit seeking the return of the remaining contract fees.
Until finally the police determined the accusations were false in May 2026. YouTuber Garosero Research Institute was charged and detained in June 2026 on charges including defamation. Kim Soo Hyun also overcame another major legal hurdle.
Last month, police decided not to pursue his case against him on charges of violating the Child Protection Act. Police found no evidence that he sexually abused his ex-girlfriend, the late Kim Sae Ron. Kim Soo Hyun has now officially made his comeback to the Korean entertainment industry.
After a photo shoot for the Filipino clothing brand BENCH on Monday (July 14, 2026), he flew to Jakarta as a special guest at an Indonesian television station's anniversary event on Sunday (August 23, 2026).
Not only that, Kim Soo Hyun is confirmed to be one of the presenters at the 2026 The Fact Music Awards on Friday, August 28, 2026. He will also be traveling to the Philippines to hold a fan meeting with BENCH on Friday, October 2, 2026.
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