On March 31st, South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun saw a sudden surge in his Instagram followers within hours after appearing at a press conference where he spoke about the recent controversies involving the late actress Kim Sae Ron.
Kim Soo Hyun appeared at the press conference for the first time since the issue arose, and Korean netizens caused a great uproar and were also criticized by international media.
The criticism flared up after the local media revealed several incidents related to Kim Sae Ron that have been regarded as controversial in recent days.
This has not only led to the cancellation of his brand ambassadorships but has also raised concerns regarding his upcoming role in the Disney+ production "Knock Off" and Kim Soo Hyun, who has been facing numerous challenges lately.
According to Koreaboo, days before this press conference, Kim Soo Hyun's account underwent a massive following drop from 1 million followers within just 30 days.
Fans took to social media to voice their unhappiness, and much speculation surrounded the long-term repercussions the controversy would have on his career.
But then, in a bit of a twist, he gained a considerable number of new followers on Instagram on April 1st (the day after the press conference).
It was the first amount added in which, over 20 consecutive days, his follower count declined.
Kim Soo Hyun is now the owner of over 20 million Instagram followers, but this is still lower than the pre-scandal numbers.
However, the latest surge indicates that, in light of continued developments in the situation, some fans may reconsider their opinion of the actor.
Social media analysts are now carefully watching these changes in follower numbers to gauge whether they are a sign of a larger change in public mood.
As for the press conference itself, reactions were mixed.
The event itself, in which Kim Soo Hyun made a visibly tense appearance, got the fans and critics talking due to the "clenched fists" of the star.
Since then, his agency has also come out to respond, mentioning that they are having issues that will interfere with their projects as a result of the controversy.
