Director Hong Sang-soo (left) and actress Kim Min-hee at the Locarno International Film Festival in August, 2015 (Yonhap)

Actress Kim Min-hee reportedly paid off an unnamed cosmetics brand Sunday for breaking a contract agreement.

Kim made headlines in June when rumors of her affair with director Hong Sang-soo came out, and it appears she is now facing backlash for her infidelity.

According to the report, Kim had been sued by the brand for tarnishing their image with her adulterous relationship with Hong. The brand had purportedly emphasized a pure and clean image, but Kim’s scandal was said to have sullied the brand.

Physiogel Korea

As soon as the scandal broke out, the brand stopped using Kim in promotions and began negotiating the terms of dissolution.

Kim and the brand quietly settled the dispute over her contract to avoid further media spotlight and controversy.

Kim reportedly returned to Korea on July 17, but has kept out of the public eye since then.

One neighbor said: “I used to see her often. I even saw her coming to the store alone. But after the scandal I haven’t seen her once.”

Other residents of her apartment building have revealed that neither she nor her vehicle have been seen at home since she came back to Korea.

By Lee Sang-won (sangdoze@heraldcorp.com)