Kim Soo-hyun Wins ₩577M Lawsuit Against Mido

Kim Soo-hyun Wins Final Victory in ₩577 Million Lawsuit Against Mido

Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, has secured a final legal victory against Swiss watch brand Mido in a lawsuit seeking the return of approximately ₩577 million (around ₩570 million) in advertising contract fees.

According to legal sources on September 11, the Seoul Eastern District Court’s 13th Civil Division dismissed Mido’s claims in their entirety on August 27. Mido did not file an appeal before the deadline, meaning the ruling has now become final.

This marks the first finalized court decision among the advertising-related lawsuits involving Kim Soo-hyun and his agency.

What was the dispute about?

Kim Soo-hyun began working as a model for Mido in December 2020, with the partnership being renewed over the following years.

In November 2024, Mido reportedly paid ₩900 million to extend the advertising agreement for another year.

Following the controversy surrounding Kim Soo-hyun, Mido terminated the agreement and sought the return of approximately ₩577 million, representing the fee corresponding to the remaining period of the contract.

Mido argued that the controversy had damaged Kim Soo-hyun’s commercial value as an advertising model and that this justified terminating the agreement and recovering part of the model fee.

Gold Medalist rejected that argument, maintaining that the controversy originated from allegations made by third parties and that there was no contractual basis to hold Kim Soo-hyun responsible for the termination.

The court sided with Gold Medalist

The Seoul Eastern District Court rejected Mido’s claims, reportedly finding that the circumstances did not constitute valid grounds for terminating the contract based on fault attributable to Kim Soo-hyun.

Attorney Bang Sung-hoon of LKB & Partners, representing Gold Medalist, commented on the significance of the decision, saying that it establishes an important legal standard regarding attempts to transfer financial losses caused by allegedly false disclosures onto those affected by them.

With Mido choosing not to appeal, the August 27 judgment is now final.

Why this ruling matters

The significance of the case extends beyond the ₩577 million at stake.

Gold Medalist and Kim Soo-hyun have been involved in several separate advertising-related disputes with companies including Eider, FromBIO, Classys, Cuckoo Electronics and Trendmaker, with the combined value of the reported claims reaching around ₩10 billion.

The Mido case was the first court ruling to emerge from these advertising disputes — and it has now also become the first finalized victory for Kim Soo-hyun’s side.

However, each of the remaining cases will still have to be decided based on its own contracts, evidence and circumstances, so the Mido ruling does not automatically determine their outcomes.

For Kim Soo-hyun and Gold Medalist, however, the final judgment represents a significant legal development as the actor continues to deal with the consequences of the controversy and the multiple disputes that followed.

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