An advertisement featuring actor Kim Soo Hyun was showcased in a subway station in Seoul recently, sparking outrage among netizens about whether promoting Kim was appropriate given his ongoing controversy.

The ad, funded through CHOEAEDOL Celeb — a platform that allows fans to crowdfund and vote for celebrity advertisements — was placed at Exit 3 of Hongdae Station.

It was first brought to public attention by a user on X (formerly Twitter), who posted a photo of the ad and criticized the decision to display it.

"I got a tip that Kim Soo Hyun is featured on a CHOEAEDOL Celeb ad at Exit 3 of Hongdae Station," the post read. "Seriously, what are you doing??"

The tweet quickly went viral, amassing over 100,000 views and prompting fierce debate online.

Critics were especially concerned about the ad's placement in a high-traffic area popular with foreign tourists.

"What a national embarrassment... Hongdae has a lot of foot traffic from foreigners, especially... Why are they doing this... Foreigners might see it and go, 'Oh, Kim Soo Hyun is up there... wasn't he accused of a crime? What's wrong with Korea?' Wouldn't they think that way?" wrote user @orin_no_sin on X. "People who like Korea would definitely know about this kind of issue... It even made BBC News... Why... just why... are we so lenient??"

CHOEAEDOL Celeb also faced criticism for not reviewing or removing the ad following the recent controversy involving Kim.

"Isn't this the kind of thing that should be decided by a vote?" user @skybluesdream wrote.

"There are way too many messed-up guys out there... And seriously, shouldn't they take the ad down themselves? What's up with platforms still running it?"

Some users speculated that the ad may have been approved before the latest developments.

"Isn't this the kind of thing people vote for? If the votes were collected before the news came out... I guess I can understand.

But still, they should've reviewed it before putting it up.

They could've gone with the second place instead. FFS," added @Blackbean_232.

Supporters of Kim Soo Hyun have defended the ad, citing the actor's global fame and expressing frustration at what they view as overblown criticism.

The controversy stems from allegations surrounding the late actress Kim Sae Ron, who passed away on February 16.

Her family claimed she had been in a relationship with Kim when she was still a minor, and accused his agency of attempting to extort money.

Kim has denied all allegations and held a tearful press conference in response, which sparked mixed reactions from the public.

As the debate continues online, questions remain about the role of fan-driven platforms like CHOEAEDOL Celeb and the responsibility they hold when controversy surrounds a public figure.

Kim Soo Hyun's agency has not commented on the subway ad as of press time.