Despite the controversy surrounding actor Kim Soo Hyun in the wake of his underage dating controversy with Kim Sae Ron, many fans around the world aren¡¯t backing down. While online criticism continues to grow, a wave of support is rising just as fast, with fans rallying together to show he¡¯s not alone.
On April 12, an international fan account shared a video clip from Kim Soo Hyun¡¯s recent fan meeting in Japan. In the video, Kim is seen smiling and waving to fans, and alongside it came messages of unwavering encouragement.
The account also announced the launch of a global petition to defend Kim Soo Hyun's rights and speak out against what fans are calling an "online public trial.¡±
The petition addresses the wave of backlash against the actor that has led to ad deals being dropped, private information being leaked, and a flood of malicious online comments.
¡°We express grave concern over the reality where unverified rumors are causing terminated ad deals, privacy violations, malicious comments, and social sanctions. Even if mistakes were made, the widespread circulation of baseless accusations and defamatory videos constitutes a modern-day online public trial, violating the presumption of innocence.¡±
From across the globe, fans are sending in words of support like,?¡°There are fans all over the world who support Kim Soo Hyun. Don¡¯t worry and stay strong.¡±
This move comes just weeks after the Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act gained traction in South Korea. Floated in late March, that petition called for stricter penalties around statutory rape and raised questions about South Korea¡¯s current age of consent laws. It urged lawmakers to raise the age of consent from 16 to 1, aligning it with the country¡¯s legal age of adulthood.
The petition, which drew over 51,000 signatures by April 7, claimed that the current legal loophole had allowed a "pedophile" to escape justice after allegedly manipulating a young actress. That petition has now reached the National Assembly threshold and is set for formal review.
As rumors and backlash continue to swirl, Kim Soo Hyun¡¯s agency, Gold Medalist, has officially taken action. On April 15, the agency announced it¡¯s launching a global legal response against cyberbullies, targeting those spreading false claims, malicious slander, and personal attacks online.
They¡¯re not limiting this to South Korea either. The agency is working with international legal teams to crack down on harmful posts across platforms like YouTube and X (formerly Twitter), stating, ¡°There will be zero tolerance.¡±
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