The promoter denied that South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun had forcefully demanded a badminton court be set up. -- PHOTO: SOOHYUN_K216/INSTAGRAM
SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): Korean Culture Alliance (KCA) Thailand, a now-defunct event promoter that organised South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun’s first fan meeting in Thailand in 2014, confirmed that the actor played badminton at the event venue, but denied that he forcefully demanded a court be set up.
This came after an X user, who claimed to be a staff member at the fan meeting, said he was forced to set up a badminton court at Kim’s request.
The actor had visited Bangkok for the event, 2014 Kim Soo Hyun Asia Tour 1st Memories In Thailand, held at Siam Paragon on March 30, 2014.
“It is true that Kim played badminton then, but there was no coercive request by Kim to install a badminton court,” a former official at KCA Thailand told The Korea Herald through a source familiar with the matter on March 16.
“We would also like to clarify that other information circulating online regarding the badminton video and photos is not true.”
The incident in Bangkok has resurfaced following recent dating rumours involving Kim and the late actress Kim Sae-ron.
On March 11, a Thai X user, claiming to have been an on-site staff member at Kim Soo-hyun’s fan meeting 11 years ago, posted that he and his colleagues were forced to set up a badminton court inside Siam Paragon, an upscale shopping centre in Bangkok, late at night on March 29 and 30 in 2014.
He alleged that the staff had to clear the entire hall at the mall to accommodate Kim’s request, reinstalling the seats after he finished playing.
According to the post, when Kim made the same request the following day, the staff suggested renting an outdoor badminton court, but he insisted on playing inside the mall, citing privacy concerns.
“Staffers were watching with their eyes almost closed (falling asleep),” the user wrote on X. “From that day until today, I’ve waited so long for everyone to open their eyes. I still remember he said, ‘The net is not tight enough, can’t play, put up the net again.’”
The post was deleted shortly after it went viral.
However, the claim gained traction when an old video on YouTube showing four unidentified men playing badminton in a hall that appears to be inside Siam Paragon went viral.
On March 16, the former KCA Thailand official acknowledged that Kim was one of the men in the video.
Kim has enjoyed immense popularity in Thailand for his roles in hit TV dramas, including My Love From The Star (2013), The Producers (2015) and Queen Of Tears (2024).
But he has also been mired in controversy over allegations of a past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron, rumoured to have started in 2015 when she was 15.
His agency Goldmedalist denied this, stating that their relationship began in 2019, when she was an adult.
The controversy has escalated with leaked private photos and speculation following her death. She was found dead in her home on Feb 16.
Meanwhile, South Korean broadcaster MBC said it would remove scenes involving Kim Soo-hyun from its variety show Good Day. The TV network said it has been closely monitoring viewers’ feedback and would edit out his scenes “as much as possible”.
Kim, a cast member of the show hosted by K-pop icon G-Dragon, was said to have taken part in filming on March 13, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported on March 17. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
