Following the arrest of Kim Se-ui, the head of the YouTube channel Hover Lab, on charges of spreading false rumors about actor Kim Soo-hyun, the actor's agency, Goldmedalist, released an official statement, saying, "The truth has finally been proven through the law and investigation."
On May 27, Goldmedalist stated in an official press release, "Following the investigation into multiple lawsuits and complaints filed by Kim Soo-hyun and our agency against Hover Lab's Kim Se-ui, it has been confirmed that the various allegations and evidence presented by Hover Lab are entirely false."
The agency particularly emphasized, "The KakaoTalk conversations of the deceased, which were disclosed during their press conference, were revealed to be forged and altered chats of other individuals completely unrelated to Kim Soo-hyun. Furthermore, the deceased's voice was also confirmed to be fabricated material generated using AI technology."
They continued, "Recognizing the gravity of the case and the charges—which include defamation by spreading false information under the Information and Communications Network Act, violation of the Stalking Punishment Act, violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (distribution of recordings using cameras, etc., and coercion using recordings), and intimidation—the court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui."
Goldmedalist added, "We express our deepest gratitude to the investigative authorities for uncovering the truth based on objective evidence. One year ago, Kim Soo-hyun promised at a press conference, 'I will not ask you to believe me. I will make sure to prove it.' The past year has been a journey solely dedicated to keeping that promise."
Previously, on May 26, Chief Judge Bu Dong-sik, who is in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pre-arrest questioning (warrant review) of Kim Se-ui and issued the arrest warrant, stating, "There is a risk of destruction of evidence and flight."
Kim Se-ui is accused of spreading false rumors from March to May of last year through YouTube broadcasts and press conferences, claiming that the late Kim Sae-ron had been dating Kim Soo-hyun since she was a minor, and that her death was caused by debt pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side.
The police reportedly investigated circumstances showing that Kim edited parts of the KakaoTalk chat screenshots received from the bereaved family, changed the sender's name to 'Kim Soo-hyun,' and used generative AI to manipulate her voice.
During the warrant review, Kim's side denied the allegations, pointing out that the National Forensic Service had issued an opinion stating it was 'unable to determine' whether the AI voice was manipulated. However, the court ruled that the criminal charges were sufficiently substantiated and issued the arrest warrant.
Photo = Reporter Baek Seung-chul
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)