Actor Kim Soo Hyun has filed for an extension in his ongoing legal battle against the late Kim Sae Ron's bereaved family and the controversial YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, after failing to pay a court-mandated fee tied to the lawsuit.
According to the legal community, the 14th Civil Agreement Division of the Seoul Central District Court had previously ordered Kim to correct recognition and delivery fees related to his lawsuit.
These fees, which total approximately ₩38 million KRW ($26,716.51 USD), are required for the court to proceed with the civil trial.
Initially, Kim sued for KRW 12.0 billion (approximately USD 8.16 million) in damages.
However, it has taken their complaint through the court up to KRW 11.0 billion (≈USD 7.77 million) by mistake.
The presiding judge later corrected the figure and issued a new order to reflect the full ₩12.0 billion KRW amount, requiring Kim to pay the additional legal fees.
As of April 16, Kim's legal team submitted a formal request to extend the deadline for paying the corrected fees.
The deadline, typically seven days from the time the plaintiff receives notice, is critical — if missed, the case risks being dismissed outright.
The actor's choice to postpone the payment has drawn widespread backlash from netizens, with many taking to the online community forum theqoo to express confusion and frustration over how the events unfolded.
"He did all this media play but can't even pay the $26,716.51 USD?" one user wrote on online community theqoo.
"I really don't like him," another commenter said.
"I didn't know you could postpone the recognition fee," one user added, with others questioning who may be backing Kim in the lawsuit. "He's become quiet after the press conference," wrote one.
Some in the legal community have expressed concern over the lawsuit's viability if the delay persists.
The lawsuit comes amid a flurry of controversy involving Kim Soo Hyun and the late actress Kim Sae Ron.
The actor has remained largely silent since a press conference earlier this year addressing his relationship with Kim and his reasons for filing suit.
