[Sportschosun Kim Joon-seok] Actor Kim Soo-hyun's damages lawsuit with an advertiser has entered a new phase.
After the court urged both sides to settle, the advertiser also sharply reduced the amount it is seeking, drawing attention to whether the move will affect other ongoing advertising lawsuits.
According to Star News on the 8th, Civil Division 45 of the Seoul Central District Court recommended a settlement at the second hearing in the damages suit filed by outdoor brand Eider against Kim Soo-hyun and his agency, Goldmedalist.
Kim Soo-hyun's advertising activities were disrupted after allegations involving the late Kim Sae-ron surfaced, and some advertisers filed damages suits, citing harm to their brand image.
More recently, however, the legal landscape has begun to shift after Kim Se-ui, head of the Garo Sero Research Institute, who raised the allegations, was indicted and taken into custody.
Eider had previously filed a damages suit seeking about 2.5 billion won after hiring Kim Soo-hyun as its advertising model and seeing the controversy spread. At the time, it argued that the company should be compensated for damage to its brand image.
But during the hearing that day, Eider cut its claim sharply, from about 2.5 billion won to about 400 million won.
It was reported that the company dropped its claim for damages tied to social controversy and instead changed the lawsuit to seek only the return of unpaid model fees under the advertising contract.
The court said Eider appeared to have adjusted its claim because it believed the original damages demand would be difficult to win.
It also reportedly expressed doubt over whether the revised claim could be legally recognized.
The court also found that, in this case, Eider, Kim Soo-hyun, and Goldmedalist had all suffered harm in some way from the allegations raised by Kim Se-ui.
It then recommended that both sides withdraw the claim, keep the advertising model contract in place, and end the dispute by having each side bear its own legal costs.
Kim Soo-hyun is reportedly involved in damages suits with several other advertisers as well as Eider. Industry watchers are closely following whether this settlement recommendation and the reduced claim amount will affect other advertising-related cases.
Earlier, Kim Se-ui raised allegations through YouTube broadcasts and other channels, claiming that Kim Soo-hyun had dated the late Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor.
Investigators, however, concluded that the audio files and conversation records released by Kim Se-ui had been manipulated. He was indicted and taken into custody on charges including defamation for the publication of false information.
Meanwhile, the third hearing in Eider's damages suit against Kim Soo-hyun and Goldmedalist is scheduled for Aug. 26.
narusi@sportschosun.com
