Kim Soo-hyun Controversy Reverses: Garo Sero Institute Head Faces Arrest for Allegedly Forging Recordings and Chats

(CNA, by reporter Yang Chi-fang, Seoul, 21st) Kim Se-ui, the representative of the YouTube channel "Garo Sero Institute" who last year broke the story that South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun had a relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, has had an arrest warrant requested by prosecutors. Police investigations have found that the recordings and conversations previously published by the channel were all fabricated.

According to a report today by South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested an arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui yesterday on suspicion of violating the Act on Punishment of Sexual Crimes, including filming and distribution using a camera. The reasons cited by prosecutors and police for the warrant include the risk of flight, potential destruction of evidence, and possible coordination of stories among suspects.

The arrest warrant states that Kim Se-ui disseminated false information about Kim Soo-hyun for financial motives, including YouTube revenue. The police wrote: "(The suspect) knew that actor Kim (Soo-hyun) did not have a relationship with the deceased when she was a minor, yet still spread false facts for the purpose of defamation."

According to the police, last year Kim Se-ui received 11 chat screenshots from 2016 between the deceased and an unconfirmed person from Kim Sae-ron's family. He then edited and forged them in seven places, including changing the other person's name to "Kim Soo-hyun." Police stated that Kim Se-ui, knowing the identity of the other party could not be confirmed, still published the forged materials to mislead people into believing it was a real conversation between the two.

Police also believe that the audio file of the deceased, which Kim Se-ui's side released in May of last year, was forged using AI. At that time, Kim Se-ui held a press conference, played the forged audio file, and claimed that Kim Sae-ron had been dating Kim Soo-hyun since middle school. He also alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had tried to buy off the informant with 4 billion KRW (approx. 84 million TWD) in exchange for the audio file and even attempted to murder the informant. Police have also determined these claims to be false.

Police stated, "This has led to the destruction of actor Kim Soo-hyun's social foundation and overall economic activities, and has even shaken the foundation of his professional survival." Police also pointed out that Kim Soo-hyun is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment, and "if the suspect continues to spread false facts, it could cause significant, irreparable harm." Kim Soo-hyun has already had his contracts terminated by multiple advertisers and is facing numerous damages lawsuits totaling 17.4 billion KRW (approx. 365 million TWD).

On the other hand, Kim Se-ui claims that the prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant is a maneuver to obstruct his journalistic activities. In a live broadcast yesterday, Kim Se-ui said, "I was planning to go to Hanoi, Vietnam, for additional reporting on a sex crime case involving a certain influential politician. They suddenly requested a nonsensical arrest warrant to interfere with our reporting." (Editor: Tang Sheng-yang)