On April 11, the newest episode of TXT member Soobin’s solo content series on YouTube channel Pixid featured a K-drama-themed segment with fellow member Beomgyu. While highlighting fan-favorite series like “Boys Over Flowers” and “Reply 1994,” the episode also referenced recent hit dramas such as “Queen of Tears,” in which Kim Soo-hyun starred. However, the actor’s presence was noticeably obscured. His figure appeared pixelated, and official posters from “Queen of Tears” displayed only co-star Kim Ji-won, omitting Kim entirely.
Despite his leading roles in major productions like “My Love from the Star” and “Queen of Tears,” Kim was not mentioned by name. Posters featured only female leads such as Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Ji-won, indicating deliberate editorial decisions to exclude him.
This follows earlier actions by MBC’s variety show “Good Day,” where Kim Soo-hyun was a regular cast member. After controversy erupted over allegations that he had a romantic relationship with Kim Sae-ron when she was underage, producers chose to remove him from the show entirely. His image was replaced with a white silhouette in post-production, and production company TEO stated, “We believe continued controversy could harm the program’s intent and sincerity.”
The controversy with Kim Sae-ron, which began over a month ago, remains unresolved. The absence of a clear resolution has led to a wave of online speculation and a visible decline in Kim’s public appearances. Fans and netizens have reacted to the editing choices with comments such as, “The editors really worked hard,” and “This must’ve been filmed before the controversy broke out,” highlighting how pervasive the backlash has become.
As industry stakeholders and broadcasters increasingly opt to remove or avoid Kim Soo-hyun’s presence, it’s clear that the scandal’s ripple effects are reshaping his once-dominant visibility in Korean entertainment.