Kim Soo Hyun Films BENCH Commercial as Official Activities Resume After 16 Months

Kim Soo Hyun has resumed official activity through a BENCH advertising shoot, marking his first confirmed public work in about 16 months. Gold Medalist confirmed that the actor filmed a commercial video and photo shoot for the Philippine fashion brand BENCH on July 14, 2026, with reports describing the project as the first step in his return to official schedules after activities were effectively suspended in March 2025.¹

The development has drawn attention because it places the Kim Soo Hyun comeback in a specific, brand-led setting rather than through a drama, film, fan event, or broadcast appearance. Multiple Korean outlets reported that the shoot took place in South Korea and involved both advertising video and pictorial content for BENCH.²³

BENCH Advertising Shoot Confirmed

Kim Soo Hyun Films BENCH Commercial as Official Activities Resume After 16 Months stage concept

The BENCH project was first reported ahead of the shoot, when OSEN said on June 8 that Gold Medalist had confirmed Kim would work with the Philippine fashion brand on July 14. That report framed the BENCH commercial as an early confirmed step in the actor’s activity resumption, while also noting that unresolved issues around domestic advertising activity remained part of the broader context at the time.⁴

On July 14, The Korea Times, adapting an Xportsnews report, said Gold Medalist confirmed Kim was filming a BENCH commercial video and photo shoot. The same report described it as his first official activity in about 16 months after his schedule had effectively been halted in March 2025.¹

Money Today also reported on July 14 that Kim was filming advertising video and photo content for BENCH in South Korea, citing OSEN’s report. The outlet described BENCH as a Philippine fashion brand and linked the shoot to his return after a period without official activities.³

Dailian followed on July 15 with a similar account, reporting that Kim had taken part in official activity for the first time in about one year and four months. The report said BENCH posted photos from the advertising shoot on its official social media on July 14 and that Kim completed commercial video and pictorial work in South Korea.²

Ben Chan Shares Set Photos

BENCH founder Ben Chan also publicly marked the shoot on Instagram. On July 14, he posted photos connected to Kim Soo Hyun’s BENCH shoot and wrote, “Reunited with your @benchtm family, @soohyun_k216.”⁵

Channel A reported on July 15 that Chan had shared photos from the advertising set on his own social media. The report said Kim appeared holding a bouquet and greeting production staff in the photos, and it also described the activity as a return after about one year and four months.⁶

The social media post is significant because it provided a visible, brand-side confirmation of the shoot after earlier agency-backed reporting. The available source material does not give a release date for the finished commercial, identify the full campaign concept, or specify where the final BENCH images and video will be distributed. It only confirms the shoot, the brand, the timing, and the fact that the project formed part of Kim’s official activity resumption.

Background To The Activity Resumption

Reports connected the BENCH shoot to a broader pause in Kim Soo Hyun’s public schedule that began in March 2025. The Korea Times report stated that his activities were effectively suspended from that month, while Korean outlets described the July 2026 BENCH work as his first official activity in about 16 months.¹²

The source material also notes legal and reputational issues in the background, but the confirmed article focus remains the advertising shoot. Money Today reported that Kim had denied related allegations and continued legal action, while Dailian included a Gold Medalist statement thanking those who had spoken on Kim’s behalf and his fans. In the agency’s words, it thanked “those who spoke for Kim Soo Hyun for a long time and the fans.”²³

The Korea Times also noted a separate advertiser lawsuit in which a court recommended settlement. The provided source summary does not include the final outcome of that matter, and no source record states that the BENCH campaign itself is tied to that lawsuit.¹

For now, the confirmed facts point to a limited but clear development: Kim Soo Hyun returned to official work through a BENCH commercial video and photo shoot on July 14, 2026. The shoot was confirmed by his agency, reported by multiple outlets, and reflected in social media posts from BENCH founder Ben Chan, while details about the campaign’s release schedule have not been provided in the available source material.