Kim Soo Hyun is once again facing heavy criticism online as old interviews and TV appearances involving younger celebrities continue to resurface amid the ongoing controversy linked to the late actress Kim Sae Ron.
According to recent reports, Seoul’s Gangnam Police Station filed an arrest warrant request on May 21 regarding the allegation that YouTube channel operator Kim Se Ui of the controversial Garosero Research Institute channel spread false information about Kim Soo Hyun for financial gain, including YouTube revenue.
JoongAng Ilbo reports also stated that investigators had concluded that Kim Soo Hyun had not dated Kim Sae Ron while he was still a minor and that some alleged text evidence had reportedly been fabricated. However, despite these developments, public opinion online remains deeply divided, with many netizens still expressing distrust towards the actor and threatening to boycott his future projects.
As the controversy continues, Internet users have started revisiting several old interviews and clips involving Kim Soo Hyun and younger stars.
An often discussed example comes from the 2012 drama The Moon embracing the Sunwhere Kim Soo Hyun worked together with child actress Kim Yoo Jung, who was only 13 years old at the time.
In an old interview, Kim Soo Hyun reportedly commented on this he initially thought Kim Yoo Jung was “too childish”, but after meeting her in person, he no longer felt she looked young and looked forward to seeing her grow up and potentially reunite with her as an actress later on. The comments recently sparked renewed criticism online amid the current controversy surrounding the actor.
Another resurfaced interview involved actress Nam Ji Hyun, who was reportedly around 15 years old at the time. Kim Soo Hyun jokingly described his acting as making him feel like “his younger brother stole his girl”, also calling her “a real vixen” in terms of acting ability — comments that some netizens now consider inappropriate in hindsight.
Further online discussions referenced a past interaction between Kim Soo Hyun and former national gymnast Son Yeon-jae when she was reportedly 16, as well as old television footage involving Kevin Woo during a 2009 music program appearance.
In the resurfaced clip, Kim Soo Hyun complimented Kevin’s way of speaking and briefly held his hand during the broadcast, causing visible embarrassment on set. Some netizens criticized the interaction as awkward, while others defended the actor by claiming that he was simply attempting playful variety show humor common at the time.
The renewed scrutiny comes after controversy involving Kim Sae Ron intensified throughout 2025.
The matter originally attracted widespread attention after Kim Sae Ron uploaded – and subsequently deleted – a close-up photo with Kim Soo Hyun in March 2024. After her death on February 16, 2025, a person claiming to be her aunt later claimed through the Garosero Research Institute’s YouTube channel that the actress had dated Kim Soo Hyun from 2015 to 2021, including during her teenage years. The actor has strongly denied the allegations.
While police findings support Kim Soo Hyun’s position, the controversy continues to influence public opinion, with the actor remaining under intense scrutiny online and reportedly facing significant risks related to advertising contracts.
