Police concluded that allegations that actor Kim Soo-hyun dated late actor Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor were false and partially based on AI-fabricated material, according to an arrest warrant application reviewed by the JoongAng Ilbo on Thursday.
In the arrest warrant application for Kim Se-eui of the controversial far-right YouTube channel Hoverlab, submitted by Seoul Gangnam Police Precinct, authorities argued that KakaoTalk screenshots and an audio file Kim Se-eui presented as evidence of an inappropriate relationship were fabricated, with names in the chat logs edited to identify Kim Soo-hyun as the conversation partner, and the audio manipulated using AI.
Despite knowing this, Kim Se-eui spread the false claims for economic gain, including YouTube revenue, police alleged.
"The suspect distributed false information with the intent to defame Kim Soo-hyun, despite being fully aware that he had never been in a relationship with the deceased from when she was a minor," police wrote.
The KakaoTalk messages that Kim Se-eui released in March 2025 as supposed evidence of the relationship were fabricated, police found.
Last year, Kim Se-eui received — from a family member of Kim Sae-ron — a total of 11 screenshots of KakaoTalk conversations that the late actor had had with an "unidentified person" in 2016, and edited the screenshots in seven places, including changing the name of the conversation partner to "Kim Soo-hyun," according to police.
KakaoTalk often displays a...
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