Kim Yoo Jung, the South Korean actress known for My Demon and 20th Century Girl, attended a luxury brand film premiere in Hong Kong on October 24, 2026. A video from the event shows Brunello Cucinelli, the 73-year-old founder of the Italian fashion house, placing his hand on her back and waist during a group photo. The clip spread across Weibo and X within days, drawing widespread criticism and bringing back similar claims about the same founder and other actresses. Neither Kim Yoo Jung nor Brunello Cucinelli has issued a public statement about the matter.
Trigger warning: This article discusses alleged inappropriate physical contact and harassment.
What Happened At The Hong Kong Premiere
The event was a special screening of Brunello: The Gracious Visionary, a film about the life of the brand founder, directed by Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore. It took place at Tai Kwun, the former police station compound turned arts centre in Central, Hong Kong. Kim Yoo Jung attended alongside actor Park Hyung Sik, Hong Kong actress Ashley Lin, and other guests.
During the group photo session, footage shows Brunello Cucinelli standing beside Kim Yoo Jung. His hand rested on her lower back and moved toward her waist. At one point, his hand appeared close to the side of her chest. The contact lasted longer than a brief pose. Kim Yoo Jung kept a smile on her face through the photo, but her shoulders looked stiff, and she adjusted her stance several times. She did not push his hand away or confront him on the spot. Staff nearby did not step in.
The video was not broadcast live. Clips recorded by people at the event began circulating online a few days later, around October 26 and 27. The angle and the repeated contact made the moment easy to replay and share.
The Video That Spread Across Weibo And X
Chinese social media users were the first to react in large numbers. On Weibo, posts about the incident climbed quickly, with Kim Yoo Jung reaching number three on the platform’s hot search list. Users posted frame-by-frame breakdowns of the clip, pointing to where the founder’s hand sat and how the actress responded.
The discussion moved to X, where international K-drama and K-pop fans shared the footage with English commentary. Posts described the contact as excessive and disrespectful. The conversation crossed language barriers within hours, turning a single event appearance into a global talking point.
Not The First Time: Liu Tao And Chen Duling
The online response grew louder because users connected the Hong Kong clip to earlier footage involving the same founder. On October 22, 2026, Brunello Cucinelli attended a brand event in Shanghai tied to the same film. Video from that event showed him holding Chinese actress Liu Tao by the upper arm, with his hand near her shoulder and waist. Some clips appeared to show contact close to her chest, though camera angles made it difficult to confirm.
Actress Chen Duling was also at the Shanghai event. Some posts said the founder helped her onto the stage and adjusted her gown, which those users described as polite. Others viewed the same moment differently.
The Shanghai event and the Hong Kong premiere were separated by two days. Users pointed to the short gap as evidence that the behaviour was not a one-off mistake. Older photos and clips of the founder with other women, including skier Eileen Gu, also resurfaced. Those older images have circulated without independent verification of the context.
Kim Yoo Jung Has Represented The Brand For Multiple Seasons
Kim Yoo Jung, who is 26, has worked with Brunello Cucinelli for several seasons. She attended the brand’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation in Milan in September 2026 and has appeared at multiple brand events in Asia. Her connection to the label made the Hong Kong appearance a normal part of her schedule, not an unusual favour.
She began her career as a child actress and became known as Korea’s “national younger sister.” In recent years she has taken on darker and more mature roles, including the thriller drama Dear X. The brand partnership fits her public image as a polished, reliable celebrity face.
No Official Statement From Actress Or Brand
As of October 30, 2026, neither Kim Yoo Jung nor her agency, Awesome ENT, has released a statement about the video. Brunello Cucinelli and the brand’s representatives have also stayed silent. Multiple outlets, including LayarHijau and Mokshiri, checked for official comments and found none.
The silence has become part of the story. Users on Weibo and X have asked why the actress should be expected to speak first when the contact came from a powerful brand figure. Others have questioned why event staff did not intervene during the photo session. The lack of a response from the brand has kept the discussion alive longer than a single news cycle.
How People Reacted Online
Reactions online mixed anger, concern, and frustration with the situation. One user quoted by Mokshiri said the founder “doesn’t need to do all that touching” and called the contact inappropriate. Another commenter pointed to Kim Yoo Jung’s long career without major scandal and asked why she was trending on Weibo because of a brand executive’s behaviour.
Chinese-language comments were sharper. One user wrote that “a group photo is not a reason to touch anyone casually.” Another said the behaviour “crossed the line” and criticised the founder for using his position. A third comment described the actress as “keeping a stiff smile” while having no easy way to step away in front of cameras and guests.
Some users also defended the founder, arguing that European social habits involve more physical warmth. Other users rejected that explanation, noting that the events took place in Shanghai and Hong Kong, not Europe, and that the women involved were Asian celebrities in professional settings. The debate over cultural difference became its own thread under the main posts.
The Film And The Brand Event
Brunello: The Gracious Visionary is a documentary-style film about the founder’s life, from his childhood in the village of Solomeo to the global growth of his fashion house. The Hong Kong screening was one of several regional premieres. The film is scheduled to open in selected Hong Kong cinemas on November 12, 2026, distributed by Autumn Sun Films.
The brand reported strong financial results before the controversy. For the first nine months of 2026, Brunello Cucinelli posted revenue of €1.1236 billion, with Asia accounting for 27.7% of total sales. The company operates 142 directly owned boutiques worldwide. Those figures were published in mid-October, shortly before the Shanghai and Hong Kong events.
The contrast between the brand’s public messaging about dignity and human values and the footage from the photo session has been noted by commentators. The founder has often spoken about “humanistic capitalism” and respect for people. That language has been quoted in coverage of the controversy, alongside the video clips.
What Is Known And What Is Not
The footage clearly shows Brunello Cucinelli’s hand on Kim Yoo Jung’s back and waist during a posed photo. Her body language appears stiff, and she adjusts her position. What cannot be confirmed from the video alone is what she felt or whether she considered the contact harassment. She has not spoken about it publicly.
The earlier Shanghai footage involving Liu Tao shows contact that users have described as similar. Liu Tao has not commented. Chen Duling has not commented. The founder has not commented. The brand has not commented.
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For now, the main record is the video itself and the reaction it generated across two major social platforms. The Hong Kong premiere took place on October 24. The clip reached international audiences by October 27. Five days later, the people at the centre of the footage have said nothing publicly.
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