According to a report on April 17, the Seoul Central District Court’s Civil Division 14 (Presiding Judge Jung Ha-jung) issued a correction order to actor Kim Soo-hyun on April 2, regarding unpaid legal fees for a civil lawsuit. The order pertains to the insufficiency of the litigation tax and service fees—mandatory costs based on the amount being claimed.
In South Korea, the litigation tax is a court fee proportional to the value of the claim, while the service fee covers the cost of delivering official court documents to the parties involved. Given that Kim Soo-hyun’s lawsuit amounts to approximately ₩12 billion KRW (about $8.7 million USD), the required legal fees are estimated to be around ₩38 million KRW.
On April 16, Kim Soo-hyun’s legal team reportedly submitted a request to extend the correction deadline—an action interpreted as an attempt to delay payment of the necessary court fees. If the correction deadline is missed without court approval, the lawsuit may be dismissed entirely.
Meanwhile, growing speculation suggests that Kim Soo-hyun is experiencing severe financial strain. An M&A expert familiar with internal affairs at his agency, Gold Medalist, stated that the company’s surplus funds have been depleted. It was even reported that service contracts with external cleaning companies have been temporarily suspended due to the financial crisis.
Adding to the pressure is the suspension of over 20 endorsement deals previously held by Kim Soo-hyun. Penalty fees for these canceled contracts alone are estimated to reach ₩22 billion KRW. Most concerning is the potential fallout related to the Disney+ original series “Knock-Off,” in which Kim Soo-hyun stars. If the series fails to be released, it could result in additional penalties worth hundreds of billions of won. Currently, the show’s premiere has been indefinitely postponed.
Industry insiders warn that, similar to the case involving actress Kim Sae-ron, the agency may initially shoulder the penalty burden, later seeking compensation from the actor. However, given that Gold Medalist is effectively operated under a one-man system led by Kim Soo-hyun, experts doubt the agency’s capacity to handle such massive financial liabilities.
