[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] Actor Kim Soo-hyun is showing signs of resuming his activities, starting with a photo shoot for a Philippine fashion brand, and attention is focused on whether he might return to acting as well.

According to entertainment industry sources on the 15th, opinions are divided regarding Kim Soo-hyun’s return to acting. While some argue that there should be no issue with him resuming his acting career—given that Kim Se-ui, CEO of Gaseyeon (Garo-Sero Research Institute), has been found guilty of the charges against him and referred to the prosecution for detention, making it increasingly likely that Kim Soo-hyun will be cleared of any suspicion—others believe that the significant damage to his image will make it difficult for him to resume his activities as before.
A production company official stated, “If he is completely cleared of the charges, I believe he will be able to resume acting. If there is a role he can handle well, casting offers will come his way,” adding, “Recently, scripts from production companies have been sent to Kim Soo-hyun’s agency.”
A management representative commented, “Since Kim Soo-hyun is an actor with proven acting skills, there will be projects that need him, and I believe a comeback is possible.” They added, “However, to maintain a steady career as an actor, he will need to choose his projects carefully and deliver even better performances than before to establish himself as an indispensable actor.”
However, there is also the view that he may not be able to resume his previous level of activity, as his image has been tarnished following the confirmation of his relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron and the public release of letters and photos from his military service—a highly private matter.
Another management official stated, “Public image is crucial for celebrities. They can continue their careers by maintaining public favor, but since so much information—including details the public doesn’t want to know—has been exposed, it’s doubtful that audiences will be able to fully accept him as a character even if he appears in a project.” The official added, “It will be difficult for people to view him as an actor the way they did before. It will be particularly challenging to cast Kim Soo-hyun in romantic genres.”
In particular, given that the release of the Disney+ series *Knock Off* has been delayed due to his personal life issues, there is a widespread view that it will take even longer to regain the industry’s trust. Another production company official remarked, “Since OTT sales are essential for recent content, and given that the Disney+ series has not been released, production companies will inevitably hesitate to cast Kim Soo-hyun if they are considering negotiations with Disney+,” and “Given that Kim Soo-hyun’s incident has been widely reported overseas, I believe negotiations with global OTT platforms will not be easy. It’s a situation where we’re cautious about taking the initiative to cast him,” the representative revealed.
The release of Disney+’s *Knock Off* is expected to have a major impact on Kim Soo-hyun’s return to acting. A production company official predicted, “If *Knock Off* is released and becomes a hit, trust in actor Kim Soo-hyun will increase, and a favorable atmosphere for casting him will be created,” adding, “Whether *Knock Off* is released and whether it becomes a hit will determine whether he resumes his acting career.”