Kim Soo-hyun gets emotional during his first public appearance at RCTI's event in Indonesia following a year-long hiatus

Over the weekend, actor Kim Soo-hyun made an appearance in Jakarta, Indonesia. On Sunday, August 23, he attended the 37th anniversary celebration of Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia (RCTI), the largest private free-to-air TV broadcaster network in the country. Soo-hyun was invited as a special guest for the event.

This marked Soo-hyun’s first public event in 17 months, following his retreat from media engagements due to the Kim Sae-ron controversy.

AllKPop’s report on his “first official public appearance” has sparked mixed reactions on X. Some users warmly welcomed the Queen of Tears actor, while others remained skeptical due to past minor dating allegations linked to him last year.

According to The Korea Times, the RCTI event lasted about four hours. During this time, Soo-hyun performed live and engaged in a meet-and-greet with local fans.

When he took the stage, the Moon Embracing the Sun star expressed his emotions, saying:

“Hello, I’m Kim Soo-hyun. Thank you for inviting me to such a meaningful occasion today.”

He then performed Dreaming, a song from his 2011 teen drama series, Dream High.

The event was titled Mahakarya RCTI 37. “Mahakarya” is an Indonesian word that translates to “a masterpiece” or “a supreme work of art” in English.

Here’s what Kim Soo-hyun said in a March conference:

Kim Soo-hyun’s public re-emergence follows his first statement in a Seoul press conference nearly a year and a half ago, on March 31, 2025. At that event, he addressed reporters:

“What I did, I did. I can accept any criticism for that. But what I did not do, I did not do. Even now, for everyone who believes in me, I want to clarify that. I won’t ask you to believe me. I will prove it.”

He became emotional while acknowledging his relationship with Sae-ron but denied the minor dating allegations, stating that their relationship began after she turned 18.

Kim Soo-hyun’s Jakarta visit coincides with the announcement of his next fan meet-and-greet event, scheduled for October 2, 2026, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines. The event was announced during the first week of August and is expected to host around 20,000 fans, marking Soo-hyun’s most prominent comeback effort.

Kim Soo-hyun’s return was initially highlighted through his appearance in a BENCH ad campaign. The Philippine lifestyle and fashion brand is organizing the October meet-and-greet event.