Kim Soo Hyun, widely celebrated for his stellar performances in Kdramas like Queen of Tears, My Love from the Star and It's Okay to Not Be Okay, is now facing severe backlash as his past interactions with underage celebrities resurface. The actor’s behaviour, once dismissed as lighthearted or playful, is being reexamined through a more critical lens — and the emerging picture has left many netizens disturbed.

One of the earliest instances involves actress Park Eun Bin. During a 2010 event, Kim Soo Hyun, then 22 years old, handed the 18-year-old actress a doll before dashing off. While this may have seemed like a harmless gesture at the time, some netizens now argue that gifting a doll to a nearly adult actress felt infantilizing and inappropriate. This incident is now viewed as an early sign of questionable behaviour.

Another notable interaction centres around Son Yeon Jae, a rhythmic gymnast who gained immense popularity in the early 2010s and was affectionately known as “the nation’s little sister.” Kim Soo Hyun, 23 at the time, publicly expressed admiration for her — a 16-year-old — during an interview, even inviting her out for a meal. While fan crushes on beloved public figures are common, many found his direct invitation unsettling, especially given the age gap and her status as a minor.

The controversy deepens with remarks he made about Nam Ji Hyun during a 2010 interview. Kim Soo Hyun, then 22, starred alongside the 15-year-old actress in Will It Snow for Christmas? and Giant. In the interview, he joked that his onscreen younger brother, Yeo Jin Goo, “stole his girl,” referring to Nam Ji Hyun. He also described her as “a real fox” when it came to acting — a term that, while often used to imply cleverness, carried an uncomfortable undertone given their age difference. His jealousy over the praise Nam Ji Hyun received from directors and senior actors was also evident, as he admitted, “I couldn’t sleep because my stomach hurt so much,” suggesting a mix of competitiveness and admiration for the young actress.

Perhaps the most unsettling example comes from his time on The Moon That Embraces the Sun, where he starred alongside Han Ga In and then-child actress Kim Yoo Jung. Yoo Jung was only 13 years old at the time, yet Kim Soo Hyun commented in an interview that he initially thought of her as a baby but later found her “confident and smart,” adding that he didn’t feel like she was young. He even said, “I can’t wait to see her mature and I think I’ll be able to soon meet her as partners in a drama.” These remarks, originally perceived as admiration for Yoo Jung’s talent, now raise red flags as netizens question the appropriateness of such statements about a young teenager.

The situation escalated further when old clips resurfaced, showing Kim Soo Hyun hugging Kim Yoo Jung and placing a finger on her lips — moments that have since gone viral and drawn fierce criticism. Many viewers expressed discomfort, with some stating they were relieved Yoo Jung’s parents were present during the filming.

Adding to the list of controversial moments is his interaction with U-KISS’s Kevin Woo. In a now widely shared clip, Kim Soo Hyun responded to Kevin’s admission of crying after looking in the mirror by saying, “But the way you talk is really cute.” He later remarked that touching Kevin felt good because he came from San Francisco — a statement that left even those in the room visibly uncomfortable. Han Seungyeon, who was present during the exchange, awkwardly asked, “What is this?” The subtitles in the clip echoed the audience's unease, reading, “Soo Hyun…Kevin is still young.”

Kim Soo Hyun’s image as a beloved, versatile actor is now under intense scrutiny. Fans who once admired his charm and sincerity are struggling to reconcile those feelings with this growing archive of unsettling interactions. While some defend his actions as misunderstood or taken out of context, many others argue that these repeated incidents form a worrying pattern.

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