On April 11, the latest episode of TXT member Soobin’s solo content series on YouTube channel Pixid featured a K-drama-themed segment with fellow member Beomgyu. While discussing popular series like “Boys Over Flowers” and “Reply 1994,” the episode also made references to recent hit dramas such as “Queen of Tears,” starring Kim Soo-hyun. However, the actor’s presence was noticeably blurred. His figure was pixelated, and posters from “Queen of Tears” only featured Kim Ji-won, completely omitting Kim Soo-hyun.
Despite his leading roles in major productions like “My Love from the Star” and “Queen of Tears,” Kim Soo-hyun was not directly mentioned. Posters only highlighted female leads such as Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Ji-won, indicating a deliberate editorial decision to exclude him.
This follows previous actions by MBC’s show “Good Day,” in which Kim Soo-hyun was a regular. After controversy arose regarding allegations that he had a romantic relationship with Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, producers decided to remove him from the show completely. His image was replaced with a white silhouette in post-production, with production company TEO stating, “We believe continued controversy could harm the program’s intent and sincerity.”
The controversy involving Kim Sae-ron, which began over a month ago, remains ongoing. The lack of a clear resolution has sparked online speculation and a noticeable decrease in Kim Soo-hyun’s public appearances. Fans and netizens have commented on the editing choices, with remarks like, “The editors really put in effort,” and “This must’ve been filmed before the controversy began,” underscoring the widespread impact of the backlash.
As industry players and broadcasters continue to avoid or remove Kim Soo-hyun from their content, it’s evident that the repercussions of the scandal are reshaping his once-dominant presence in Korean entertainment.
