Kim Soo-hyun ordered to return approximately 1.1 billion won in modeling fees to the advertiser... Agency plans to appeal

Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s side will return approximately 1.1 billion won in appearance fees corresponding to the period when the advertisement broadcast was stopped. According to the legal community on the 13th, in the damages lawsuit filed by FromBio against Kim Soo-hyun and his agency, the Suwon District Court’s 14th Civil Division (Presiding Judge Moon Hyun-ho) partially ruled in favor of the plaintiff. The court decided that the defendant must pay FromBio approximately 1.1598 billion won. FromBio, a health functional food company, signed a model contract with Kim Soo-hyun in October 2024. However, after allegations arose that he had met the late Kim Sae-ron during her minor years, the company stopped using the advertisement the following year. Subsequently, the company filed a lawsuit in May last year demanding a total of 3.96 billion won as penalty fees and model fees, claiming damages due to brand value decline. The court recognized the obligation to return the model fees for the period when the advertisement could not be used, stating that due to the controversy, Kim Soo-hyun failed to maintain trust and a positive image, making product promotion difficult. On the other hand, considering that Kim Se-ui, the head of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, was arrested and indicted for spreading related false information, the court ruled that this incident was an irresistible event mainly caused by the false dissemination by others, exempting the responsibility for penalty fee compensation. Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency Gold Medalist immediately filed an appeal against this decision. The agency stated that it is difficult to accept the judgment to return the model fees to the party who suffered from the crime and announced that they will fiercely contest the case in the second trial.