SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun made his first on-air television appearance in more than a year on Aug. 23, performing on Indonesia’s RCTI during a program marking the network’s 37th anniversary in Jakarta.
Kim appeared as a special guest on the live broadcast Mahakarya RCTI 37, where he thanked the audience before performing “Dreaming,” a song from the 2011 South Korean drama Dream High. Kim played Song Sam-dong, one of the drama’s main characters.
The 38-year-old actor stepped away from television activities after controversy emerged in March 2025 over allegations that he had dated late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor. Kim Sae-ron was found dead at her home in Seoul in February 2025 at age 24.
Her family filed a criminal complaint against Kim Soo-hyun in May 2025, accusing him of dating her while she was underage and violating South Korea’s Child Welfare Act.
Kim’s side acknowledged that the two had dated but denied that their relationship began while Kim Sae-ron was a minor. His representatives also disputed an audio recording released by her family, describing it as an artificial intelligence fabrication.
South Korean police cleared Kim Soo-hyun of the Child Welfare Act allegations in July and decided not to refer the case for prosecution.
His appearance in Indonesia followed his first official activity since the controversy. Kim filmed a commercial for a Philippine fashion brand on July 14.
