Kim Soo-Hyun’s luxury apartment seized by cosmetics firm over unpaid penalty fees amid Kim Sae-Ron scandal

Kim Soo-Hyun’s luxury apartment seized by cosmetics firm over unpaid penalty fees amid Kim Sae-Ron scandal

Top Hallyu actor Kim Soo-Hyun is facing a major financial and legal blow as one of his luxury apartments has been seized by a cosmetics company, Classys, over unpaid penalty fees. The news, confirmed by Korean media on June 12, has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and further complicated the actor’s ongoing controversy tied to his alleged past relationship with late actress Kim Sae-Ron.

According to reports from Koreaboo, the seizure was authorised by the Seoul Eastern District Court after Classys filed for legal action on May 8, with approval granted on May 20.

The property in question is one of the three high-end units Kim purchased at the Galleria Forêt, a luxury complex in Seoul, during 2013 and 2014. Classys claims the actor owes 3 billion KRW (approximately $2.19 million) in penalty fees after they were unable to use his image for promotional purposes due to the scandal.

Kim Soo-Hyun’s legal team has dismissed the seizure as unjustified. In a public statement, his attorney Bang Sung-Hoon argued that the situation was triggered not by the actor but by false reports from controversial YouTube channel HOVERLAB, led by Kim Se-Ui and affiliated with the Garo Sero Institute. "Kim Soo-Hyun is a victim," Bang emphasized, "The advertiser did suffer losses, but the responsibility lies with HOVERLAB, not the actor."

Bang further asserted that the legal process will prove HOVERLAB’s defamation and restore Kim's reputation. If successful, advertisers may withdraw their claims for compensation.

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Meanwhile, this development follows another legal twist. Just a day earlier, two luxury properties owned by YouTuber Kim Se-Ui were provisionally seized after Kim Soo-Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, filed a civil lawsuit. The Seoul Central District Court froze two of Kim Se-Ui’s properties—each worth 2 billion KRW—totaling a value of nearly 4 billion KRW (around $2.9 million).

Gold Medalist has also filed a criminal complaint and a 12 billion KRW (approximately $8.8 million) civil suit against Kim Se-Ui, citing defamation and reputational damage following the surfacing of the dating scandal earlier this year.