What Did Kim Ji-won Do to Deserve This? Park Sung-hoon and Kim Soo-hyun’s Controversies Make “Queen of Tears” Now “Queen of Scandals”
The drama “Queen of Tears,” which concluded in April 2024, achieved a peak rating of 24.9% (episode 16, Nielsen Korea’s nationwide paid platform standard), making it tvN’s highest-rated drama in history. However, just a year later, it is at risk of becoming a controversial production due to the backlash against its two leading actors.
Park Sung-hoon’s Instagram Controversy
Park Sung-hoon, who plays a supporting role in the upcoming Squid Game 2, sparked outrage on December 30, 2024, when he accidentally posted an adult video (AV) parody of Squid Game on his Instagram story. The image featured explicit sexual scenes involving multiple women. Given his millions of followers, the screenshot spread rapidly online, igniting a major scandal.
BH Entertainment, his agency, attempted damage control, stating:
“The post was sent to Park Sung-hoon via a direct message (DM), and he mistakenly clicked on it, causing it to be uploaded to his Instagram story. He was extremely shocked and deleted it immediately. He sincerely regrets this mistake.”
However, this explanation did little to quell the controversy. Later, during promotional interviews for Squid Game 2, Park Sung-hoon addressed the issue:
“I deeply regret that such an incident occurred while my project and character were receiving so much attention and love. I sincerely apologize to my entire team.”
Despite his apology, the public found his explanation unconvincing. Eventually, he was removed from his next confirmed project, tvN’s upcoming drama The Tyrant’s Chef (working title).
After 1 year of contoversy, actor Park Sung-hoon is reportedly set to return to the small screen with a fresh romantic comedy titled “Efficient Dating of Single Men and Women” (tentative title), according to a March 26 exclusive from SPOTV News. The project marks his potential comeback after a turbulent period in the spotlight.
Kim Soo-hyun’s Alleged Connection to Kim Sae-ron’s Passing
While Park Sung-hoon’s controversy was damaging, the allegations against Queen of Tears’ lead actor Kim Soo-hyun are even more serious.
The situation escalated when Garo Sero Investigation Institute, a controversial YouTube channel, linked Kim Soo-hyun to the tragic passing of actress Kim Sae-ron in February 2025. The channel claimed that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were in a six-year relationship and that his agency, Gold Medalist, was involved in her downfall.
Gold Medalist immediately refuted these claims in an official statement on March 10:
“The allegations made by Garo Sero regarding Kim Soo-hyun are completely false. The channel has falsely claimed that Kim Soo-hyun conspired with YouTuber Lee Jin-ho to harass the late Kim Sae-ron. It also spread misinformation, alleging that Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun dated when she was 15, that our agency mishandled her DUI incident, and that a Gold Medalist manager had personal ties to Lee Jin-ho. These claims are malicious fabrications, and we will take the strongest legal action possible.”
The agency also said they would take legal actions against the YouTube channel.
On March 11, new photos of Kim Soo-hyun kissing Kim Sae-ron’s cheek surfaced, along with text messages exchanged between them, further escalating the controversy. In one of the messages, Kim Sae-ron pleaded for time to repay the 700 million KRW but allegedly received no response.
The backlash has been particularly intense overseas, where public opinion is highly sensitive to relationships involving minors. Since “Queen of Tears” gained international popularity thanks to Kim Soo-hyun’s Hallyu star power, the fallout has been even more severe.
Only Kim Ji-won Remains Untainted
With both “Queen of Tears” male leads embroiled in controversy, drama fans expressed their disappointment online, commenting, “Guess I can’t rewatch this anymore”, “Only Kim Ji-won is left unscathed” and “I loved this drama, but now I feel heartbroken.”
Recently, on March 18, actress Kim Ji-won was spotted at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport, departing for Hong Kong for an overseas schedule. Despite the ongoing controversies involving her “Queen of Tears” co-stars Kim Soo-hyun and Park Sung-hoon, Kim Ji-won maintained a bright demeanor and professional attitude.
Even as her co-stars deal with public scrutiny, Kim Ji-won remains poised and focused on her career, reinforcing her positive image. Her confident presence at the airport during this sensitive time reassured fans about her professional trajectory. Despite being indirectly involved in controversies, she continues to shine and carry out her activities with grace. Kim Ji-won is currently in talks for a role in the upcoming drama “Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia” (tentative title), where she is set to play a genius surgeon, sparking anticipation among fans.