Sex, lies and videotapes: Kim Soo Hyun Kim Sae Ron dating row is not the only scandal to hit South Korean showbiz | See list

Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron controversy not the only one in Korean showbiz: Sex scandals, dating controversies, bribery and corruption have been plaguing South Korean entertainment industry. South Korea's globally famous showbiz, which includes K-Pop, K-dramas and cinema, is a multi-billion dollar industry. But the sharp focus on the private lives of its stars, along with their own crimes, have been tumbling down over the past few years. The latest is the controversy over whether famous actor Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron - who died by suicide this year - when she was a minor. Here's the lowdown on that, as well as other scandals that hit South Korean entertainment in the past years.

Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron dating controversy of 2025

Veteran Actor Kim Soo-hyun's relationship with younger co-star Kim Sae-ron became a massive controversy this year after allegations that the relationship started when she was a minor. Down on luck, Kim Seo-ron was found dead in February, which was ruled a suicide. Intense backlash over the age difference of their relationship led to many brands dropping deals with Kim soo-hyun, essentially throwing his career into turmoil.

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Kim Soo-hyun faces possible $900K penalty in Taiwan after cancelling fan meet

Burning Sun Scandal of 2019

The scandal gets its name from the Burning Sun nightclub in Seoul, the site of sexual assaults, prostitution, drug trafficking, and police corruption involving celebrities and businesspeople. Seungri, a famous singer of Big Bang, real name Lee Seung-hyun, was accused of arranging prostitutes for investors in his businesses. He was also allegedly involved in illegal gambling. He was sentenced to three years in prison and retired from the entertainment industry. Another musicianJung Joon-young was charged with filming and distributing illegal sex videos without consent and participating in gang rape. He was sentenced to six years in prison. Choi Jong-hoon of the rock band FT Island was also accused of gang rape and sharing sex videos. Hewas sentenced to five years in jail, but this was later brought down to 2.5 years.

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Kang Ji-hwan rape case of 2019

Actor Kang Ji-hwan, famous for Monster and Big Man, was accused of raping a woman and sexually assaulting another at his home.He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison which halted his career in entertainment.

Kim Seon-ho forced abortion row of 2021

An unnamed woman who claimed to be the former girlfriend of Kim Seon-ho accused theStart-Up actor of having coerced her into an abortion. Kim lost several projects and brand endorsements and apologised. But later developments, including leaked chats, revealed that the abortion was agreed upon mutually. Contrary to the accusations of mistreatment, it emerged that Kim had supported his ex, helping him regain his reputation and career.

Yang Hyun-suk drug investigation and gambling controversies of 2019-2022

Yang Hyun-suk, a powerful name in South Korean showbiz, was embroiled in scandal after being accused of threatening a person who leaked information about an artist in his YG Entertainment talent agency. The information was about an ongoing drug investigation. Yang Hyun-suk was also investigated for overseas gambling and was fined in 2022. Yang resigned from YG Entertainment, which he had founded, though he was found not guilty.

Even if Kim Soo-Hyun dated Kim Sae-Ron as a minor, he could still get away. Here’s why

HyunA and Dawn dating controversy of 2018–2019

The music stars HyunA and Dawn announced their industry-breaking relationship and eventually exited their K-Pop bands Triple H and Pentagon. They were dropped by their agency Cube Entertainment but continued their careers independently, later announcing their engagement. Despite all the drama, they broke up after six years of dating.

Here's what Kim Soo Hyun said about dating late actor Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor

Jennie (Blackpink) and Kai (EXO) dating row of 2019

Over the years, the dating histories of Korean entertainment stars have led to fan responses, ranging from curiosity to outrage. One such case was the relationship between Jennie, the singer of the top K-Pop girl band Blackpink, and Kai from the boyband EXO. Much of the fan reactions were negative, and they ended the relationship amid intense scrutiny but managed to continue their careers. However, some reports claimed that the whole thing was a publicity stunt.

Kim Ji-soo sexual assault and bullying claims of 2021

At the height of the #MeToo movement in South Korea, actor Kim Ji-soo was accused by former classmates of sexual assault and bullying, some of which he admitted. He was removed from River Where the Moon Risesand hasn't got a lot of new work even as the case continued.

Idol trainee sexual harassment case of 2024

In 2024, a South Korean idol trainee accused her agency’s CEO of sexual harassment. The singer who was part of a multinational girl group was allegedly sexually harassed by the agency’s co-founder identified in media reports as 'A.' The case is ongoing.

Talent agency embezzlement case of 2024

Ahn, the former chief of the now-defunct K-Stars, was accused of using the profits from the talent agency to operate its parent group K Media, a video production group also run by him. He was given a suspended jail sentence for illegal transfer of profits.

Music chart manipulation and bribery case of 2024

In 2024, a group of entertainment industry figures including a former music producer were arrested for manipulating K-pop shows. The 11 people, including Kim, who used to be the CEO of entertainment agency, were charged with manipulating music charts to artificially boost the rankings of 15 K-Pop songs.

These are not the only scandals rocking the industry. But they give an overview of the kind of crimes, double standards, corruption and violation of privacy of scores of stars in K-Pop, K-Drama and South Korea's world-famous movie industries.