'Glad I became an actor': Kim Soo-hyun speaks out after 17-month hiatus

Actor Kim Soo-hyun has spoken about his feelings in an Indonesian broadcast interview, saying he is "glad" he became an actor.

His agency, Gold Medalist, shared the interview footage on its official Instagram story on Tuesday. Kim appeared as a special guest on "Mahakarya RCTI 37," a live broadcast special marking the 37th anniversary of Indonesian commercial network RCTI, held in Jakarta on Aug. 23. It was his first public appearance in one year and five months, since he halted activities in March last year.

In the interview, Kim introduced a denim jacket he treasures before suggesting he might ask fans to recommend a character they would like to see him play. He named Bali as a destination he has long wanted to visit and gave viewers a peek inside his bag.

Kim appeared thinner than during his active days but smiled throughout the interview.

Kim stepped back from public life in March last year after allegations surfaced that he had dated the late Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor and had pressured her to repay debts. He acknowledged dating her after she came of age but denied the remaining allegations and pursued legal action.

The Seoul Seongdong Police Station closed its investigation into Kim without charges, finding insufficient grounds for violations of the Child Welfare Act or false accusation charges.

Kim Se-eui, head of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, which raised the allegations, has been indicted and is in custody. He faces charges including violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (defamation), violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and violation of the Stalking Punishment Act.

Investigators determined that a voice recording released by the channel had been fabricated using AI, and that KakaoTalk conversation logs it published had also been manipulated.

Kim resumed activities in July with a brand advertisement in the Philippines. He is set to hold a fan meeting for 20,000 attendees in the Philippines in October.

On Sept. 19, Kim will present an award at the 2026 The Fact Music Awards at Busan Asiad Main Stadium.