Police Detain CEO Kim Se-ui Over Allegations Against Actor Kim Soo-hyun
Authorities have arrested and transferred Kim Se-ui, the CEO of Garo-Sero Institute (GSI), to the prosecution. Kim is accused of defamation, including spreading false claims that actor Kim Soo-hyun had a relationship with actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.
Allegations of Defamation and Falsehoods
The Seoul Gangnam Police Station announced on June 4th that Kim Se-ui was taken into custody. The accusations stem from statements made by Kim Se-ui on YouTube broadcasts and in a press conference following Kim Sae-ron’s death in February of the previous year. Kim alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had a relationship with the underage Kim Sae-ron and that he pressured her to repay debts, ultimately leading to her death.
In May of the same year, Kim Se-ui held a press conference regarding Kim Sae-ron’s will, presenting what he claimed was an audio recording of Kim Sae-ron as evidence that she was in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since she was 15 years old.
Police Investigation and Court Decision
However, the police investigation concluded that the audio file presented by Kim Se-ui was generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Furthermore, KakaoTalk conversations between Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron, also presented by Kim, were determined to be fabricated.
Based on these findings, police applied for an arrest warrant on June 14th, charging Kim Se-ui with violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (illegal filming and distribution), defamation, conspiracy, and coercion. A court granted the arrest warrant on June 19th, citing concerns about the suspect’s flight risk and the possibility of destroying evidence.
Kim Se-ui’s request for bail after being detained was denied by the court on June 31st, with the judge stating there were no grounds for the request.
Ongoing Legal Dispute
The legal battle between Kim Soo-hyun and the GSI and Kim Sae-ron’s representatives regarding the alleged relationship during her minority began in March of the previous year. GSI claimed that Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun were in a romantic relationship from 2016 when she was 15. Kim Soo-hyun’s side has refuted these claims, stating that their relationship began in the summer of 2019 after Kim Sae-ron had become an adult, and lasted until the fall of 2020.
Kim Soo-hyun filed a defamation lawsuit against GSI and Kim Sae-ron’s representatives in March of last year and subsequently held a press conference to reiterate his denial of the allegations.
Following Kim Se-ui’s arrest, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist, expressed gratitude for the investigative authorities’ efforts in uncovering the truth based on objective evidence.
