The family of the 24-year-old actress revealed earlier this week that Kim had been in a long-term relationship with her, allegedly beginning when she was 15 and he was 12 years her senior.
Under South Korean law, any romantic involvement with a minor under 16 is considered a criminal offense.
Shortly after the allegations started swirling online, provoking a barrage of criticism, the actor faced the cancellation of several endorsement deals.
Beauty brand Dinto was quick to halt all promotional activities with him, while Shinhan Bank, which endorsed the actor as the face of the bank, took a cautious approach, saying that it is "closely monitoring the situation."
But angry fans have voiced their outrage against him, calling for boycotts of the products he has been promoting. The actor currently has around a dozen endorsement deals with major domestic and international brands including Homeplus, Tous Les Jours, Jo Malone London, and Prada.
The allegations emerged after the young actress, best known for her role in the 2010 hit action thriller "The Man from Nowhere," shocked the nation when she was found dead of apparent suicide at her home in eastern Seoul last month.
In a recent interview with a quasi-news channel on YouTube, the family claimed that the actress' agency had sent a legal notice demanding repayment of 700 million won (approximately $530,000) that she allegedly borrowed from her date after a 2022 drunk-driving incident.
The incident dealt a huge blow to her acting career, as she faced financial struggles after being repeatedly denied roles amid persistent criticism. The producer of the series also filed a compensation claim in damages caused by her drunk-driving scandal.
Unable to pay as the primary breadwinner in her household, she reportedly turned to her alleged boyfriend for financial help.
But after the scandal, they seemed to go their separate ways for some reason, and leaked text messages show the actress trying to reach him and begging for more time to repay the borrowed money.
But the actor immediately denied all the allegations through his agency, calling them "malicious fabrications" and threatening "the strongest possible legal action" against the channel.
However, a couple of intimate photos showing him kissing her on the cheek suggest a possible close relationship.
The timing of her death has also raised eyebrows, as it was on his birthday. Moreover, the actor did not attend her funeral, despite being from the same agency.
The actress's mother pleaded, "I only want my child to be remembered and honored as the talented actress she was. Please help ensure that she is not reduced to gossip but instead recognized for the career and legacy she left behind."
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