Despite Kim Sae-ron scandal, Kim Soo-hyun remains No. 1 in star rankings for fifth straight week

Kim Soo-hyun, currently one of the most talked-about figures in South Korea's entertainment scene, has held onto his No. 1 spot in the Star Ranking poll for male actors for the fifth consecutive week. During the 115th voting round, held from May 29 at 3:01 PM to June 5 at 3:00 PM, he amassed a total of 182,051 votes.

Trailing behind him were King the Land star Lee Jun Ho in second place with 63,618 votes, and Lovely Runner actor Byun Woo Seok in third with 17,117 votes.

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What is Star Ranking and its rewards

Star Ranking is a weekly fan-voting platform that allows fans to vote for their favorite celebrities. Fans who vote receive digital certificates, and those who top the rankings are rewarded with various promotional benefits.

Any star who maintains the No. 1 position for four consecutive weeks is rewarded with a feature on an LED billboard advertisement. Additionally, fans are encouraged to submit proposals for extra fan-support video ads to celebrate their favorite celebrities.

Allegations surrounding Kim Soo-hyun

Despite his popularity, Kim Soo-hyun remains embroiled in controversy following recent allegations made by the bereaved family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. The family claimed that the Queen of Tears actor and Kim Sae-ron had been in a romantic relationship for six years, beginning in 2015 when she was still a minor.

They reportedly submitted a collection of photos, letters, and messages to the controversial YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute, also known as Hoverlab, as supposed evidence of the relationship.

Kim Sae-ron's DUI incident resurfaces

The allegations are tied to a previous incident involving Kim Sae-ron's DUI accident, which led to a 700 million KRW (~510,000 USD) penalty fee dispute between her and Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist. What began as a financial issue has now escalated into a public battle over the truth surrounding their alleged relationship.

Kim Soo-hyun's public denial

In March, Kim Soo-hyun emotionally addressed the controversy at a press conference, firmly denying the allegations. "I did not date her while she was a minor. The accusation that my rejection or pressure from my agency led to her tragic decision is entirely false," he said, visibly distressed.

Following his statement, the actor took legal action, filing both civil and criminal lawsuits against the late actress¡¯s family and Hoverlab CEO Kim Sae Ui, seeking 12 billion KRW (approximately 8.7 million USD) in damages.

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