First of all, on a human level, I want to say welcome back, Kim Soo-hyun.

I don’t know him personally, of course. But after everything he’s been through, I’m simply grateful that he didn’t make a tragic or irreversible choice during such a difficult time.

That said, the topic of this article is about the lawsuits involved, which is why I felt this particular image was more appropriate.

Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron: Where Do the Lawsuits Stand Now?

The legal issues surrounding Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron are not just one single court case.

In particular, the case involving Kim Se-eui and the lawsuit involving the watch brand MIDO are two completely separate matters.

They shouldn’t be treated as if they were part of the same trial.

---

1. The Case Involving Kim Se-eui Is Still Ongoing

Prosecutors indicted Kim Se-eui, the head of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, after determining that some of the claims he made were false.

The main allegations include:

• The claim that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron when she was still a minor
• The claim that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun’s side to repay a debt contributed to Kim Sae-ron’s death

Prosecutors have brought Kim Se-eui to trial in connection with the distribution of these claims.

But there has been no final verdict yet.

An indictment by prosecutors does not mean that a court has already found someone guilty.

The trial is still ongoing.

So at this point, it would not be accurate to say:

“The court has officially ruled that the allegations about dating a minor were false.”

The court has not issued a final ruling on that matter yet.

---

2. The MIDO Lawsuit Has Already Received a Court Decision

The watch brand MIDO terminated its advertising contract with Kim Soo-hyun following the controversy.

The company then sued Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, seeking the return of approximately 570 million won that had already been paid as advertising model fees.

The court dismissed MIDO’s claim.

In other words, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency won that particular case.

---

But the MIDO Lawsuit and the Kim Se-eui Case Are Separate Matters

This distinction is important.

The MIDO lawsuit and the case involving Kim Se-eui are not the same case.

What the court considered in the MIDO lawsuit was essentially this:

Did MIDO have the legal right to terminate the advertising contract and recover the money it had already paid?

On the other hand, the key issue in the Kim Se-eui case is:

Were the claims made about the relationship between Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron false?

The subject of the two trials is different.

So just because Kim Soo-hyun’s side won the MIDO lawsuit, it does not automatically mean that:

“The court proved that the allegations about dating Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor were false.”

That conclusion cannot be made because the MIDO lawsuit was not a trial that directly examined that question.

---

Where Things Stand Now

The Kim Se-eui Case

• Prosecutors have filed charges
• The trial is currently ongoing
• There is still no final court verdict

The MIDO Lawsuit

• The court has already issued a decision
• MIDO’s claim was dismissed
• However, this was not a trial that directly determined whether Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor

---

Conclusion

At this point, not all of the legal proceedings have reached a final conclusion.

And the most important thing to remember is this:

The MIDO lawsuit and the Kim Se-eui case are separate matters.

The outcome of the MIDO lawsuit should not be interpreted as if it were the outcome of Kim Se-eui’s criminal trial.

The case involving Kim Se-eui is still ongoing, and there has not yet been a final court ruling on the allegations concerning a relationship during Kim Sae-ron’s time as a minor.