Kim Soo Hyun: Actor's future uncertain as agency faces financial crisis, Disney+ drama Knockoff remains off schedule

This follows growing controversy surrounding Soo Hyun in connection to late actress Sae-ron. The ‘Queen of Tears’ actor has been accused of having dated Sae-ron while she was still a minor, and his agency is alleged to have attempted to extort money from her following her DUI incident. These claims intensified after Sae-ron’s death on February 16, also his birthday, triggering public backlash.

Gold Medalist’s financial condition appears to have worsened dramatically. According to multiple industry sources, the agency, once said to have held between approximately $1.36 million and around $2.04 million in reserves - is now reported to be running out of funds. An expert familiar with the matter stated bluntly: “It seems the company’s funds have run dry.”

The situation is so dire that the agency has reportedly halted contracts with external cleaning service providers in an effort to cut operational costs. A financial industry insider commented: “Before the press conference, I heard they needed to come up with about 6 billion KRW ($4 million) in damages. Recently, they even halted their contract with an external cleaning service. If that’s true, layoffs among employees might not be far off.”

Soo Hyun addressed the allegations during an emotional press conference on March 31 where he broke down and cried, denying any wrongdoing. Many speculated that the event was not only a public rebuttal to accusations but also a strategic move to help stabilise his agency’s crumbling image and financial standing.

In his statement, the actor reflected on the timing of his response: “I wondered how things might have been if I held a press conference at the beginning of it all to clarify everything. Then, I would not have caused so much suffering to the fans who love and support me and the staff at my management company who worked so hard leading up to this conference.”

The scandal has already cost Soo Hyun more than 20 endorsement deals, with brands pulling advertisements and cancelling scheduled appearances. While most companies have reportedly avoided imposing penalty fees, the combination of refunds, lost business opportunities, and mounting operational costs has left the agency in financial disarray.

Amid the fallout, attention has turned to Knockoff, Kim’s highly anticipated drama series for Disney+. While initially scheduled for release this year, the series is now missing from the platform’s public calendar. Complaints filed by viewers to Disney+ have reportedly been met with the same response: “No public schedule.”

A post on a popular online community discussing the issue drew nearly 90,000 views. One user remarked: “No matter how many complaint emails were sent to Disney+, the only response received was ‘No public schedule.’ I guess Disney didn’t like Soo Hyun’s press conference, considering people started getting responses. I think his penalty fee lawsuit will start soon.”

This comes as screenshots of email replies reportedly sent by Disney+ on March 31, the same day as Kim’s press conference, have circulated online.