Kim Soo-hyun makes first TV appearance in a year amid controversy

Actor Kim Soo-hyun has made his first on-air television appearance in roughly a year, following his 2025 hiatus.

Kim appeared as a special guest on the live broadcast “Mahakarya RCTI 37,” a special program celebrating the 37th anniversary of RCTI, held in Jakarta on Sunday. RCTI is one of Indonesia’s leading privately owned commercial free-to-air television networks.

During the event, Kim thanked the audience before performing “Dreaming,” a soundtrack from the 2011 hit drama “Dream High,” in which he played Sam-dong, one of the main protagonists.

Kim became embroiled in controversy in March last year, when claims emerged that he had been in a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor. Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seoul’s Seongdong-gu district in February 2025.

The allegations led to a criminal complaint filed by Kim Sae-ron’s family in May 2025, accusing Kim of dating her while she was underage and violating the Child Welfare Act. Kim’s side acknowledged that the two had dated but denied that their relationship began while she was a minor, and disputed an audio recording released by her family as an AI fabrication.

In July, police cleared Kim of the Child Welfare Act allegations, deciding not to refer the case for prosecution.

Kim also filmed a commercial for a Philippine fashion brand on July 14, marking his first official activity since March 2025.