Kim Soo Hyun's dating controversy blamed as G-Dragon¡¯s Good Day ends quietly with its lowest ratings
Kim Soo Hyun¡¯s dating controversy with the late Kim Sae Ron is being widely blamed by Korean media for the downfall of Good Day. The show, led by G-Dragon, ended with its lowest ratings amid backlash over the actor¡¯s brief appearance.

MBC¡¯s variety show Good Day had all the makings of a hit, including BIGBANG¡¯s G-Dragon not just hosting but stepping in as a music producer. Despite a flashy start and big names like Jung Hae In, Im Siwan, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Kwanghee, the show finished with its lowest ratings yet. As the show concluded its final chapter on April 13, K-media has now blamed Kim Soo Hyun¡ªwho guest-starred in several episodes¡ªas the reason for the show's poor ratings.
Good Day ends with its lowest ratings
Good Day started strong when it premiered on February 16, with an average nationwide rating of 4.3 percent. Fans had high hopes, especially with G-Dragon's return to TV, but things started going south in early March when Kim Soo Hyun's dating controversy broke out.
Despite the serious grooming allegations surrounding the actor, the music variety show still aired one episode featuring him ¡ª though his screen time was noticeably limited. But even that brief appearance didn¡¯t go unnoticed. It quickly triggered major backlash, not just toward MBC but also G-Dragon, who had been the face of the show.
While MBC issued a clarification, the ratings of the show significantly dropped, with the last episode recording the lowest ratings at just 2.7 percent, according to Koreaboo.
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K-media blames Kim Soo Hyun for Good Day's poor ratings
And now, Korean media is pointing to one major reason for the show's low ratings: Kim Soo Hyun¡¯s controversy. He appeared on the show as a guest, but his involvement became a highlight after allegations resurfaced about his alleged underage relationship with the late Kim Sae Ron.
According to WikiTree, the controversy likely played a big part in the show¡¯s ratings crash. Even though Soo Hyun kept filming after the news broke, the backlash got so intense that producers reportedly started cutting as much of his footage as they could.
Wikitree, as reported by Koreaboo, noted, "The biggest reason behind the show¡¯s rating slump was the controversy involving Kim Soo Hyun.
Credit: X
Allegations surfaced claiming that he dated the late Kim Sae Ron from November 2015, when she was only 15 years old, until July 2021. Despite the uproar, Kim Soo Hyun proceeded with filming on March 13 and appeared in the March 16 broadcast, sparking further backlash. However, these measures weren¡¯t enough to bring back viewers."
According to a report from News1, a major K-media publication, much of the blame for Good Day¡¯s downfall is now being directed at Kim Soo Hyun. The outlet didn¡¯t mince words and reported, "G-Dragon¡¯s return to variety shows became a hot topic in itself, and the show drew attention for its star-studded cast of fellow 1988-born celebrities. However, midway through the broadcast, the program was unexpectedly caught up in controversy when cast member Kim Soo Hyun faced allegations of having dated the late Kim Sae Ron during her teenage years. As a result, Good Day edited out all of Kim Soo Hyun¡¯s scenes from the show."
Other K-media publications such as Celuv Media and Jobpost also blamed Kim Soo Hyun for the show's failure.
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