Actor Kim Soo-hyun has effectively been cleared of the "minor grooming suspicions" that have followed him for one year and four months.
According to the legal community recently, the prosecutors' office returned the investigative records of Kim Soo-hyun's complaint regarding violations of the Child Welfare Act and false accusation to the police on September 3.
Previously, the Seoul Seongdong Police Station decided not to forward the case on July 29, determining that there was insufficient evidence to acknowledge the allegations raised against Kim Soo-hyun, and sent the related records to the prosecutors' office.
After reviewing the records, the prosecutors' office returned them to the police without requesting any additional supplementary investigation or reinvestigation.
With this, the investigation process regarding Kim Soo-hyun, which began last year, has effectively concluded as the police's decision not to forward the case was maintained.
This case began in May of last year when the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae-ron filed a complaint against Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act.
The bereaved family claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor, and that during this process, there was sexual and emotional abuse, including so-called "grooming."
Furthermore, Kim Se-의, head of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute, joined in and poured out various suspicions against Kim Soo-hyun, causing the controversy to spread uncontrollably.
However, the police determined that the audio file presented by Kim as proof of the two people's relationship was fabricated material created using generative artificial intelligence (AI), and that the material presented as KakaoTalk conversations between Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron was also falsely fabricated.
Kim Se-ui, who had spread baseless suspicions, was arrested and indicted in May of last year on charges including the dissemination of false information.
With the police and prosecutors' investigations coming to an end, Kim Soo-hyun's return to the entertainment industry is gaining rapid momentum.
Kim Soo-hyun recently carried out overseas schedules, including filming an advertisement in the Philippines and appearing on an Indonesian broadcast, and will attend an awards ceremony held in Busan on the 19th.
Along with this, the release schedule of the 60 billion won drama "Knock-Off," whose release had been indefinitely postponed due to Kim Soo-hyun's controversy, has also emerged as a topic of discussion.
While Disney Plus drew a line against reports that it is scheduled for release this year, it is known to have entered internal discussions regarding the release timing.
Attention is focused on whether Kim Soo-hyun, who suffered massive damage to his image after being embroiled in the worst controversy since his debut, will be able to recover the public's trust and love.
Reported by Kim Ji-hye | Video by Kim Hye-ju | Design by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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