Police have requested an arrest warrant for Kim Se-eui, head of the “Horoseo Research Institute,” while judging that the rumors of actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron’s relationship as minors were false.
According to the JoongAng Ilbo on the 21st, the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul requested an arrest warrant for Kim Se-eui’s alleged defamation. The police reportedly judged that CEO Kim spread false facts for the purpose of economic benefits and YouTube profits.
In particular, the police reportedly stated in the warrant application that CEO Kim spread the related information for slander purposes, even though he knew that the allegations that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron had dated since they were minors were not true.
The police judged that the capture of the messenger conversation released by CEO Kim last year was also a fabricated data. The name of the interlocutor in the captured text received from the bereaved family was modified and edited as if he had an actual conversation with Kim Soo-hyun.
It is also believed that the voice file of the late Kim Sae-ron, which was released last year, was also manipulated using AI technology.
The legal representative of the bereaved family was also reportedly booked on charges of involvement in the case. The police reportedly judged that the lawyer was involved in the process of providing data and spreading false information.
Earlier, lawyer Ko Sang-rok, Kim Soo-hyun’s legal representative, said, “Kim Soo-hyun has not sued the bereaved family’s lawyer,” adding, “The investigation agency seems to have confirmed the alleged accomplice and converted it into a suspect.”
Police are said to believe that the spread of false information caused serious damage to Kim Soo-hyun’s social image and economic activities. It is also reported that the warrant includes the fact that if false claims are repeatedly spread while currently undergoing psychiatric treatment, damage that is difficult to recover may occur.
On the other hand, Kim Se-eui’s representative expressed his position regarding the request for an arrest warrant, saying, “It is intended to interfere with the reporting activities.” He said in a live broadcast that he was “looking forward to covering overseas” and claimed that the warrant request against him was deliberately made.
