Kim Soo Hyun is facing intense scrutiny following allegations of an underage relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron. Now, fans are wondering if he will go ahead with his scheduled fan meeting in Taiwan this month.

According to Taiwan’s ET Today on the 19th (local time), there is a possibility that Kim Soo Hyun might not attend the Seven Eleven Cherry Blossom Festival in Kaohsiung on March 30.

Seven Eleven had planned a big event with Kim Soo Hyun, as he is their brand model. They had already printed his face on food packaging, coffee cups, and cup sleeves. The company also selected 200 lucky fans through a lottery to meet him.

The festival’s lineup includes top stars from South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong. Kim Soo Hyun was supposed to perform on the final day for around 40 minutes. However, with his name being linked to the Kim Sae Ron controversy, doubts have started to rise about his attendance.

His agency only revealed that he has been experiencing "anxiety symptoms," and he has not appeared in public since. Local media speculate that he may not show up at the event at all. If he cancels, the penalty fee is expected to be around 30 million NTD (about 1.3 billion KRW).

Meanwhile, Kim Sae Ron’s family recently claimed that she had been in a relationship with Kim Soo Hyun for six years, from 2015 to 2021, starting when she was 15 years old. At first, Kim Soo Hyun’s side denied the claims, calling them "false information." But on the 14th, they changed their statement, saying, "Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron were in a relationship from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020, after Kim Sae Ron became an adult. The claim that Kim Soo Hyun dated Kim Sae Ron when she was a minor is not true."

With the controversy still ongoing, fans are waiting to see whether Kim Soo Hyun will break his silence or if his Taiwan appearance will be officially canceled.

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SBS's new fantasy historical drama The Haunted Palace is already making waves both in South Korea and around the world.

Starring Yook Sung Jae and Bona, the show exploded in popularity during its very first week — topping Netflix charts in multiple countries and hitting double-digit TV ratings straight out of the gate.

On Korean television, The Haunted Palace shocked viewers with a strong start. Episode 1 pulled in a peak nationwide rating of 10.7%, instantly breaking the double-digit barrier.

The Seoul area rating and the national average were both 9.2%, making it the highest-rated premiere of any SBS drama in 2025 so far.

It also beat out other SBS dramas like Love Scout and Buried Hearts, and even took the #1 spot among all mini-series aired that week, showing that this drama isn’t just trending — it’s leading the pack. (According to Nielsen Korea)

And the success didn’t stop on TV.

As soon as The Haunted Palace dropped on Netflix, it jumped straight to #1 on “Today’s Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea”, proving its massive popularity on streaming platforms.

Globally, it also ranked #1 in the TV series category in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, showing that international fans are just as hooked.
(According to FlixPatrol, April 21)

The drama is also doing incredibly well on South Korea’s own streaming trend charts. On KinoLights — a platform that tracks trends across all streaming services — The Haunted Palace ranked #1 overall, beating both films and dramas. (As of April 19)

Fans are loving the unique story, which mixes fantasy, comedy, and creepy mystery. The drama follows Yeori, a shaman who denies her fate, and Kang Cheol I, a mythical Imoogi spirit trapped inside her first love’s body. Together, they face off against a terrifying ghost called Palcheok Gui — who has a dark grudge against the royal family.

Episode 2 added even more excitement, with Kang Cheol I hilariously struggling to live like a normal human after 1,000 years.

At the same time, Yeori starts hearing the voice of Yoon Gap’s spirit and tries to save him. By the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Prince Wonja (played by Park Jae Joon) is going mad due to Palcheok Gui — and that the ghost has already consumed Yoon Gap’s soul. The showdown between Kang Cheol I, Yeori, and the evil spirit is just getting started.

With high ratings and top OTT rankings, The Haunted Palace is quickly becoming one of the biggest drama hits of the year.

Episode 3 of The Haunted Palace airs on Friday, April 25 at 9:50 PM KST on SBS.

Source: [1]