Kim Se-ui, the head of the YouTube channel "Hover Lab," who was indicted and detained on charges including defaming actor Kim Soo-hyun, has requested release on bail, citing mental illness among other reasons.
On October 15, Criminal Agreement Division 26 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Hyun-kyung) held a bail hearing for Kim. Kim's defense attorney stated at the hearing that Kim feels a threat to his personal safety due to broadcasts involving terror threats and is living in solitary confinement. The attorney said, "He suffers from mental illnesses such as panic disorder, so living in solitary confinement risks causing harm to his mental health," adding, "His commissary funds have been seized, leaving him unable to even purchase medication. He has a fixed residence, so there is no concern of flight, nor is there any danger of him causing harm to the victim." The attorney also noted, "Upon requesting an appraisal of the audio file from the National Forensic Service, we received a reply stating that whether it was manipulated by AI is undetectable."
Appearing in court wearing a green prison uniform, Kim argued that he has no risk of flight because he is confident of his innocence.
Given an opportunity to speak directly, Kim said, "I have a clear conviction of innocence in this trial, so there is no reason for me to flee." Kim noted that Kim Soo-hyun's side filed a civil lawsuit in the 15 billion won range against him and the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae-ron, leading to the provisional attachment of his apartment, and asserted, "Even just to protect my apartment, which is a precious asset, there is no risk of flight." He added, "Due to my detention, I have already been demonized across various media outlets. The defamation is already severe," and stated, "I did not broadcast by merely listening to one-sided claims; I conducted reporting and analysis before broadcasting."
The prosecution opposed the bail request. The prosecution pointed to the risk of reoffending and concerns over harm to the victim, arguing that if Kim is released, "there is a high probability he will spread distorted claims, saying the bail proves his innocence," and noted, "He is continuing to broadcast by sending letters from the detention center, and in that process, he is leaking court documents for purposes other than their intended use."
The prosecution also pointed out that Kim's side is misleading the situation as if there were no grounds for detention regarding the withdrawal of certain evidence, including the audio file appraisal results. The prosecution explained, "The evidence is already sufficient, and we merely withdrew overlapping evidence to ensure a speedy trial, which is unrelated to the grounds for detention." They also explained to the effect that the withdrawal was prompted by concerns that the evidence might be misused in broadcasts.
Kim was indicted and detained in June on charges of spreading false claims on YouTube and other platforms alleging that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, and that the cause of Kim Sae-ron's death was pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side regarding debt repayment. He is also charged with intimidation for broadcasting Kim Soo-hyun's private photos without authorization and demanding a public apology while threatening to expose materials concerning his private life.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.