South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun returned to Manila for a fan meeting on October 2.
Thousands of Filipino fans welcomed the Queen of Tears star at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
However, his appearance also triggered renewed online criticism. Some social media users continued to discuss allegations involving the late actress Kim Sae-ron.
Kim attended the ‘Our Forever With You’ fan meeting during one of his biggest overseas appearances since his lengthy break from public activities.
Around 15,000 fans reportedly gathered at the venue. They showed their support for the popular actor.
Kim became teary-eyed during the event. The emotional moment appeared to reflect his reaction to the warm welcome from Filipino fans.
According to a message reported by ABS-CBN, Kim described his Filipino supporters with three words: “warmth”, “passion” and “sparkle”.
Online backlash resurfaces
Kim Soo-hyun’s Manila return also sparked criticism online.
Some social media users questioned the decision to continue supporting the actor amid the controversy involving Kim Sae-ron.
One X user criticized Filipino fans after seeing footage of Kim becoming emotional during the fan meeting.
The user called the continued support “pathetic”.
Another social media user reacted to footage of fans dancing to attract Kim’s attention.
The user also repeated allegations about Kim’s alleged relationship with Kim Sae-ron.
Those comments referred to accusations that emerged after Kim Sae-ron’s death.
The allegations remain a major part of the public discussion surrounding Kim Soo-hyun.
The controversy explained
The controversy began in March 2025.
YouTube channel HoverLab claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had a romantic relationship with Kim Sae-ron for six years.
The channel alleged that the relationship began in 2015, when Kim Sae-ron was 15.
Kim Sae-ron’s family later publicly supported the claims, according to reports.
Kim acknowledged that he had dated the actress. However, he denied that their relationship began while she was a minor.
His agency, Gold Medalist, gave a different timeline.
The agency said Kim and Kim Sae-ron dated from summer 2019 until autumn 2020.
According to the agency, Kim Sae-ron had already reached adulthood during that period.
The controversy affected Kim’s career and public image.
It also led to calls for his removal from MBC’s Good Day.
His Disney+ drama Knock-Off also faced a delay amid the controversy.
Police drop case
The controversy took another turn in 2026 after South Korean police found that voice recordings presented by HoverLab to support the allegations against Kim had been fabricated.
In May, a Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for HoverLab operator Kim Se-ui on suspicion of spreading false and fabricated information about the actor.
Authorities also accused him of publicly playing the recordings despite allegedly knowing that they were fabricated.
Two months later, Seoul police decided not to pursue the complaint accusing Kim of dating Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor, citing insufficient evidence.
The case effectively ended in September after prosecutors returned the records to police without requesting further investigation, leaving the police decision in place.
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