On March 29, 2025, the investigative media outlet Kbizoom shed light on the cameo appearances of IU, Suzy, Ahn So-hee, and DASOM in Kim Soo-hyun’s 2017 action thriller, Real. The actresses made fleeting appearances, each lasting only 3 to 5 seconds, without any spoken lines.
During a live stream on the same day, Garosero, a YouTube channel focused on investigative journalism, claimed that these prominent figures were never fully briefed on the details of their cameo roles. IU had a mere 3-second screen time as an awards ceremony assistant, while Ahn So-hee appeared as a maid for the same duration. 9MUSES members Park Kyung-ri and Min-ha featured as a waitress and bartender, respectively, for 4 and 2 seconds, respectively. SISTAR’s DASOM was cast as a rehabilitation therapist, also briefly seen.
According to Garosero, Kim Soo-hyun reached out to his acquaintances in the industry to enlist their support for the film, but the stars involved were reportedly unaware of the significance or context of their roles in the project.
Reflecting on the cameo process, Kim Soo-hyun expressed gratitude towards IU and Suzy, saying:
“At first, I lightly asked if they had time to make cameos. They readily agreed, so I was really thankful.”
Notably, Suzy underwent an extensive six-hour makeup session to portray a heavily tattooed character, making her appearance brief yet memorable at a mere 5 seconds without any lines. Kbizoom reported that Suzy remarked:
“She came in six hours before the shoot to get full-body tattoo makeup done.”
Conversely, actress Han Ji-eun from When The Stars Gossip faced severe emotional distress after discovering that nearly all of her footage in Real was ultimately cut, apart from a nude scene, leading her to experience PTSD.
Allegations Surrounding Kim Soo-hyun and Relationship with the Late Kim Sae-ron
The controversy regarding Real has also reignited discussions surrounding the personal life of Kim Soo-hyun, particularly allegations concerning a relationship with actress Kim Sae-ron, who tragically passed away on February 16, 2025. On March 10, 2025, Garosero claimed that he and Kim Sae-ron had started dating when she was a minor.
These allegations escalated following the release of photographs purportedly showing an early association between the two, believed to have been obtained from Kim Sae-ron’s family. The situation intensified as Garosero conducted interviews with the late actress’s relatives, leading to the distribution of additional images, videos, and text messages suggesting a relationship that supposedly lasted from 2015 to 2022.
“Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were dating between the summer of 2019 and fall of 2020, after she became an adult. It is not true that Kim Soo-hyun dated her when she was a minor.”
In response to these claims, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency refuted the allegations, providing evidence that the photographs were taken during their relationship period in 2019 and 2020, and established that they were not involved when Kim Sae-ron was underage.
This controversy also reopens painful discussions regarding Sulli, a former member of the girl group f(x), who co-starred with Kim Soo-hyun in Real and sadly took her life in 2019. In Real, Sulli portrayed a character sharing a complicated relationship with Kim Soo-hyun’s character. The film included a notable scene featuring Sulli entirely unclothed alongside Kim Soo-hyun, attracting significant public scrutiny and backlash that many believe deeply affected her mental health.
As a result of the ongoing controversies and recent allegations, Kim Soo-hyun has reportedly lost multiple endorsement deals, with brands like PRADA, Dinto, and Eider publicly distancing themselves from him. According to Money Today, he may be liable for a significant penalty estimated at 22 billion KRW (approximately $15 million) due to contract terminations. Furthermore, production for Disney’s upcoming series Knock Off has been halted, and if the project is ultimately scrapped, it could cost him as much as $123 million.