“Just Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Ji-won, No Male Lead… YouTube Variety Show Joins in ‘Erasing Kim Soo-hyun’”

Actor Kim Soo-hyun, embroiled in controversy over alleged underage dating, is facing growing exclusion from Korea’s entertainment industry.

Recently, in the web variety show My Fave's Faves on the YouTube channel Pixid, TXT’s Soobin introduced his favorite K-dramas. The studio was decorated with life-size cutouts of actors like Park Bo-gum, Hyeri, IU, and Jang Hyuk—all stars from Soobin’s chosen dramas.

However, the life-size standee of Kim Soo-hyun, who starred in My Love from the Star and Queen of Tears, was noticeably blurred out.

In addition, when Soobin introduced drama posters in a PowerPoint slide, the images of Kim Soo-hyun were blurred, leaving only female co-stars Jun Ji-hyun (My Love from the Star) and Kim Ji-won (Queen of Tears) visible.

Viewers took note, leaving comments such as:

“They blurred Kim Soo-hyun’s face.”

“The editors must’ve had a hard time. You can tell this was filmed earlier—what a headache for post-production.”

This isn’t the first instance of the industry distancing itself from the actor. On April 6, MBC’s variety show Good Day, in which Kim Soo-hyun appeared, edited out his scenes completely. Even wide shots where he was present were cropped, with white lines dividing the screen to mask his appearance.

The backlash has also spilled into the commercial world. Brands that previously featured Kim Soo-hyun, including Homeplus, Eider, Dinto, and Tous Les Jours, have either canceled contracts or announced intentions not to renew them.

The swift erasure of Kim from both broadcast and brand content illustrates the powerful ripple effect that personal controversies can have on a public figure’s career in the Korean entertainment landscape.

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