TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) firmly rejected claims Wednesday (March 26) that his administration forced the cancellation of South Korean celebrity Kim Soo Hyun's (金秀賢) scheduled appearance at a city festival. The high-profile event was abruptly called off amid swirling controversy over allegations about Kim's past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron (金賽綸), who was reportedly underage at the time. Mayor Chen clarified that while city officials had expressed concerns about the situation, they had not demanded the event's cancellation, drawing a careful distinction between voicing reservations and applying official pressure.
The event, originally scheduled as part of the popular "Kaohsiung Sakura Festival" (高雄櫻花祭), had been organized by convenience store giant 7-ELEVEN and was expected to draw thousands of fans to the southern port city on Sunday. The company made the cancellation announcement through their social media channels Tuesday, establishing a refund process beginning next Monday at 10 a.m. and continuing through April 15 at 11:59 p.m. The sudden change has created complications for numerous fans who had already secured transportation and accommodation arrangements. Acknowledging these disruptions, Mayor Chen pledged that the city's consumer protection department would provide comprehensive assistance to those facing refund issues.
According to the original itinerary, the Korean actor was set to arrive at Kaohsiung International Airport (高雄國際機場) from Incheon on March 30 for the fan event, with a departure scheduled for April 1. Mayor Chen stressed that his administration maintained open lines of communication with event organizers throughout both the planning phase and the subsequent controversy. Despite the star's absence, festival organizers have committed to protecting consumer interests by implementing a dual-option approach: attendees can either receive complete refunds or use their original tickets to attend the modified festival at no additional cost, ensuring fans aren't left entirely disappointed by the unexpected development.
