Court Orders Kim Soo-hyun's Side to Pay From Bio 1.16 Billion Won; His Team Disputes Reports

The Suwon District Court ruled on Nov. 11 partly in favor of advertiser From Bio, ordering actor Kim Soo-hyun's side to pay 1,159,894,000 won (about 1.16 billion won) plus interest, Star News Korea reported.

The ruling came from Civil Division 14, with Presiding Judge Moon Hyun-ho. From Bio filed the suit in May last year against Kim and his agency Goldmedalists, seeking about 3.96 billion won. The award is less than a third of that sum.

Interest on the award runs at 5% annually from Oct. 13, 2021 to Nov. 11, 2026, then rises to 12% annually until the sum is fully repaid.

From Bio had terminated its modeling contract with Kim, citing brand damage from the privacy controversy, and demanded the full modeling fee plus a breach penalty. Kim's side denied the allegations and any liability.

Kim's team disputes how the verdict is being described. According to the team, the court held that Kim Se-yeol of Garoseoro Research Institute bore the main responsibility for the claims that hurt the actor's image. The team rejects reports that the court ordered Kim himself to pay damages.

The team also said investigators determined that audio released by Kim Se-yeol was AI-generated and that the KakaoTalk contents were fabricated. He was detained in May last year.

"Damages caused by a crime should not fall entirely on the victim of that crime," Kim Soo-hyun's team said.