[Exclusive]Even with Kim Se-se's arrest, when will Kim Soo-hyun's reputation be restored? Kim Soo-hyun's 3.9 billion won defamation lawsuit postponed again

*This content was translated by AI.

The trial for a 3.9 billion won damages lawsuit filed by health functional food company Prombio against actor Kim Soo-hyun has been postponed by one month. Although it was expected that legal judgments on various issues surrounding Kim Soo-hyun would accelerate as arguments resumed following the recent arrest of Kim Se-se, CEO of the horizontal and vertical research institute, the delay has once again drawn attention to whether Kim Soo-hyun will be able to restore his reputation and when he will return to the entertainment industry.

According to a StarNews investigation on the 20th, the fourth argument session for the 3.96 billion won damages lawsuit filed by Prombio against Kim Soo-hyun and his agency Gold Medalist has been rescheduled for August 19. The 14th Civil Division of the Suwon District Court, which is handling the case, decided to change the date on the 17th and notified both parties' lawyers the following day.

Originally, the fourth argument session was scheduled to be held on July 22, but it has been postponed by about a month due to the court's order to change the date. The exact reason for the postponement has not been revealed.

Previously, Prombio filed a damages lawsuit against Kim Soo-hyun and Gold Medalist last May, claiming that the brand's image was damaged due to personal life controversies surrounding the late actor Kim Sae-ron. On the other hand, Kim Soo-hyun's side has maintained that the related allegations are false and argued that there is no liability for damages.

This trial also drew attention as it resumed after Kim (CEO), who has been raising related allegations, was recently arrested. The lawsuit had been suspended for about eight months after the second argument session held on October 22 last year, pending the outcome of the related case.

However, the court notified both parties of the argument session date on the 27th, the day after Kim (CEO) was arrested on the 26th of last month. As the police expedited the investigation, including sending Kim (CEO) to the Prosecution Service just eight days after the arrest, the civil lawsuit surrounding Kim Soo-hyun also began to move again.

However, the third argument session concluded in just five minutes. During the third argument session held on the 10th, the court stated, "It is necessary to reconfirm which specific parts constitute a violation of the duty to maintain dignity."

In response, Prombio's side decided to submit a table summarizing the reasons for the alleged violation of the duty to maintain dignity, related evidence, and grounds for breach of contractual obligations. The court is expected to organize the issues based on these materials and then receive additional responses from Kim Soo-hyun's side to proceed with the full trial.

Kim Soo-hyun is reported to have faced damages lawsuits totaling 10 billion won from companies other than Prombio, including Classis, Cuckoo Electronics, and Trend Maker.

However, since Kim (CEO) was arrested and sent for prosecution last month on charges including the dissemination of false facts, doubts have been raised about the credibility of various materials presented by him. As a result, attention is also focused on the legal judgment regarding whether Kim Soo-hyun bears liability for compensation.

Meanwhile, Kim (CEO) was arrested and sent for prosecution on the 3rd on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation by posting false facts), violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes, etc. (distribution of filmed materials using cameras, etc.), attempted coercion, and threats.

According to the police, Kim (CEO) is suspected of spreading recordings and other materials claiming that Kim Soo-hyun dated the late Kim Sae-ron, who was a minor, through YouTube broadcasts and other means from March to May last year, and that the direct cause of Kim Sae-ron's death was pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side to repay debts. He is also suspected of fabricating false facts by manipulating the late Kim Sae-ron's voice using AI, thereby damaging Kim Soo-hyun's reputation.

The police believe that the KakaoTalk conversation contents presented by Kim (CEO) at a press conference last March, claiming that Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron were in a relationship, were also fabricated.

In response, Gold Medalist's side issued an official statement on the 5th, saying, "We deeply thank those who spoke out on behalf of Mr. Kim Soo-hyun for a long time while waiting for the procedures prescribed by law, even though they were not direct parties to the case."

It further added, "We also express our gratitude to those who worked hard by directly investigating to reveal the truth of the case, and to everyone who joined us to ensure that the reality of the case is widely known."

It also stated, "In particular, we deeply thank the law enforcement authorities who silently fulfilled their responsibilities from behind the scenes, conducted investigations based solely on evidence and facts, and revealed the truth, as well as the judicial institutional investor who made fair and impartial judgments regarding the suspect's custody." It further conveyed, "Most of all, we sincerely thank all the fans who have supported and stood by Mr. Kim Soo-hyun for a long time. The faith and support of the fans have been a great strength even during difficult times."

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*This content was translated by AI.