Kim Soo Hyun‘s portfolio was once overflowing with campaign contracts as the face of numerous brands. But now, the South Korean actor’s recent controversies centred around a dating scandal and pedophile accusations are costing him his career. Not only has his yet-to-release Disney+ K-drama Knock-Off been halted, he has also been hit with multiple advertisement contract lawsuits worth millions of dollars–a development expected to blow up even more.

So far, 4 companies have sued Kim Soo Hyun for violating his advertisement contract

Reports of two companies (referred to as ‘A’ and ‘B’) suing him for reimbursement and compensation of damages emerged earlier this week. Sources with knowledge related to the case said the companies that had brought Kim Soo Hyun on board as their advertisement model had hit him with lawsuits, demanding approximately 3 billion won (appox $2.1 million) combined.

Meanwhile, a third company ‘C’ reportedly terminated its advertising model contract with the Queen of Tears star, citing breach of trust. The officials behind this banner are also potentially working towards building a similar lawsuit, seeking model fee reimbursement to penalise him for breach of contract.

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“Kim Soo Hyun signed advertising model contracts with 15 different brands, and based on domestic contracts, he is said to have been paid around 1 billion to 1.2 billion won [approximately $698,000 to $837,000] in model fees per contract,” said attorney Park Sung Woo of Wooree Law Firm, who is representing these companies. The lawyer also further remarked that while advertisers are often reluctant to lead the charge as the first ones to officially sue a model, more companies are likely to join the legal clash after an advertiser has filed a lawsuit.

Following up on those reports, a retail company, referred to as ‘D,’ is also said to be suing Kim Soo Hyun for 2.8 billion KRW (approximately $2 million).

Kim Soo Hyun advertisement contracts

Throughout what was once viewed as a stellar career, the It’s Okay Not to Be Okay star has been linked to brands across various industries, including retail, fashion, cosmetics, luxury and finance. As a result, Kim–originally deemed a “cash cow”–has long been associated with leading industry names like Prada (fashion), Estee Lauder Companies, Shinhan Financial Group (finance), Swatch Group – MIDO (watched) and more.

Prada, Dinto (vegan beauty brand), Tous Les Jours (bakery franchise), K2 Korea (athleisure group), Shinhan Bank, Eider, Cuckoo and Aekyung Group are some of these banners to have either dropped their partnerships with Kim or erased his presence from their social media early on.

Kim Soo Hyun’s new K-drama hanging in the balance

The latest slew of lawsuits has become a reality weeks after insiders suggested that even Disney+ could legally challenge the actor with a hefty ask as compensation for his involvement in the period drama Knock-Off, co-starring Jo Bo Ah. These speculations surfaced around the time when the first season of the black comedy series was originally scheduled to premiere in April 2025, and the second season’s production was underway.

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Season 2 filming was ultimately put on indefinite hold. Meanwhile, the first season’s release now remains uncertain. According to AllKpop and Koreaboo, Knock-Off has an estimated production budget of 60 billion KRW (approx $41 million), whereas Soo Hyun’s per-episode fee is believed to be between 500 million to 800 million KRW.

Some fans still on the now-controversial K-drama ctor

Contrary to the long list of setbacks signalling a major slump in Kim’s career graph, the Queen of Tears star ranked third in the male category of a star power ranking. According to Star Ranking’s weekly male actor poll conducted from April 24 to May 1, he amassed 11,546 votes, trailing behind top actors Lee Jun Ho and Byeon Woo Seok.

Soo Hyun’s top-ranking spot on a voting-based roster indicates that he still has consequential support on his side in spite of the majority questioning his character in the face of allegations that he dated the late Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor. Similar fervour has been witnessed on social media as statements like “We stand with Kim Soo Hyun” have gained traction. The Hallyu star and his agency, Gold Medalist, have repeatedly denied all claims of any wrongdoing on his part.