Kim Soo-hyun Dragged by Misleading Media: 25 Outlets Receive Official Warning

Tags
Kim Soo Hyun

The Korea Press Ethics Commission (KPEC) has issued formal cautions to 25 media outlets for publishing misleading and ethically questionable reports linking actor Kim Soo-Hyun to unverified allegations and a legislative petition, the commission announced Monday.

Kim Soo Hyun
heraldcorp

The rebuke, delivered during KPEC's 997th session, centered on a wave of articles that falsely associated Kim with what was dubbed the "Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Law," a National Assembly petition seeking to raise the age of consent under South Korea's statutory rape laws.

According to the commission, several headlines and stories referred to Kim as if he were directly implicated in criminal conduct, citing unproven grooming claims involving the late actress Kim Sae-Ron.

The reports "used an individual's real name in the title of a legislative proposal and relayed unconfirmed allegations as fact," the KPEC stated, adding that the coverage risked "branding that person as a criminal in the public eye."

Some articles repeated lines such as, "Kim Soo-hyun's grooming crimes against minor Kim Sae-ron sparked public outrage," without offering clarifying context or confirming the accuracy of the claims.

The KPEC emphasized that such reporting "violates core principles of journalism, including accuracy, fairness, and the protection of personal dignity."

This is the second consecutive session in which the commission has addressed media misconduct involving Kim Soo-hyun.

In its previous 996th session, KPEC cautioned 14 outlets for disseminating sexually suggestive and false claims derived from YouTube content.

Headlines like "Kim Soo-hyun's nude photo found at girlfriend's house" and "Kim Sae-ron naked doing dishes" were flagged for sensationalism and breaching privacy standards.

"These reports uncritically repeated one-sided claims from YouTube without verification, paired with sensational titles aimed at provoking sexual imagination," KPEC said. "Such reporting lacks the responsibility expected of the press."

The commission also warned that this kind of coverage could cause serious emotional harm to individuals, their families, and fan communities, particularly when the content is speculative or based on hearsay.

Although the KPEC operates as a self-regulatory body under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, its decisions are non-binding.

It can issue warnings, recommend corrections or apologies, and suggest disciplinary actions—but compliance by news organizations remains voluntary.

Kim Soo-hyun, one of South Korea's top actors, has remained largely silent in the face of these controversies.

His legal team denies the allegations and is trying to have criminal charges brought over what they say is an AI-fabricated audio clip that was used to incriminate him.

Join the Discussion

Latest News