Kim Soo Hyun Returns in BENCH Video After Being Cleared of Child‑Welfare Charges
South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun, who had been silent for about one year and four months following accusations that he had a relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor, was cleared by Seoul’s Seongdong Police of any violation of the Child Welfare Act. The police decision not to prosecute was announced on 29 July.
On 2 August the Philippine fashion brand BENCH released a greeting video featuring Kim as its ambassador. In the short clip he smiles, waves and says, “Hello, I’m Kim Soo Hyun. I really missed you all. I’m happy to greet you again after such a long time. Please look forward to what’s coming.” The video quickly amassed over 110,000 views and sparked strong fan support. Products shown in the ad, including a denim jacket, sold out shortly after the post.
Kim’s appearance was noted as slimmer than before, and while his legal case is closed, he still faces civil claims for damages from several advertisers amounting to roughly 10 billion won. He has received dozens of offers for future film and TV projects, though no official schedule has been announced.
Entities: BENCH · BENCH (Philippine fashion brand) · Kim Sae Ron · Kim Sae‑ron · Kim Soo Hyun · Kim Soo-hyun · Philippines · Seongdong Police Station (Seoul) · South Korea · South Korean court · South Korean police
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Seoul's Seongdong District police decided on 29 July not to prosecute Kim Soo Hyun on child‑welfare law accusations. (Police decision reported in all three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Kim Soo Hyun appeared in a Bench brand video released on 2 August, greeting fans and saying he missed them. (Video release described in all three articles)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Kim Soo Hyun has received approximately 40 offers for film and television projects since his legal clearance. (Stated in article d4e042d1‑ba47‑48ec‑a678‑49131d4738d0)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The accusations against Kim Soo Hyun were filed by the family of former actress Kim Sae Ron and the Garo Sero Institute. (Mentioned in articles 222d5090‑... and 5b107368‑...)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Bench video featuring Kim Soo Hyun received over 110 000 views on the day it was posted. (Reported in article d4e042d1‑ba47‑48ec‑a678‑49131d4738d0)