KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 -- South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun is back in front of the cameras after a 16-month break, with the actor making his first official appearance since a controversy that sent his career into a storm.

The Queen of Tears star recently filmed a commercial and completed a promotional photo shoot for Filipino fashion brand Bench, according to his agency Gold Medalist.

The return marks Kim's first official work since he stepped away from public activities in March last year following allegations that he had dated fellow actor Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.

Kim's agency has consistently denied the claims, saying the two were only in a relationship after Kim Sae-ron became an adult.

The controversy led several brands to...