South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun’s agency says allegations against him have been “proven false” after a Seoul court approves an arrest warrant and police take into custody YouTuber Kim Se-ui, who runs the HoverLab/“Garo Sero Institute” channel. The Seoul Central District Court issues the warrant on Tuesday, citing concerns about flight risk and potential destruction of evidence. Kim Se-ui faces charges including defamation and related offenses, including allegations involving illegal distribution of recorded material and violations of laws tied to intimidation and stalking-related conduct. Prosecutors and police accuse him of falsely claiming that Kim Soo-hyun dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor and that pressure or debt-related demands from Kim Soo-hyun’s side contributed to her death. Authorities also accuse him of creating doctored audio using AI technology to fabricate claims attributed to Kim Sae-ron, including assertions of sexual relations when she was in middle school. Kim Se-ui denies the charges, calling the warrant baseless and saying he will challenge the case. The controversy began with viral claims last year that prompted Kim Soo-hyun to stop activities for more than a year. His legal team also signals potential civil damages, with reported figures discussed rising from 12 billion won to 30 billion won.
Arrest warrant and custody follow AI-fabricated defamation allegations against YouTuber Kim Se-ui
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun’s agency says allegations against him have been “proven false” after a Seoul court approves an arrest warrant and police take into custody YouTuber Kim Se-ui, who runs...
- A Seoul court approves an arrest warrant for YouTuber Kim Se-ui, operator of HoverLab/“Garo Sero Institute,” over alleged defamation against actor Kim Soo-hyun.
- Police take Kim Se-ui into custody after concluding that audio previously presented as evidence was generated using AI technology.
- The allegations include claims that Kim Soo-hyun dated late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor and that debt-related pressure from his side contributed to her death.
- Authorities also accuse Kim Se-ui of creating doctored audio recordings using AI to falsely attribute statements to Kim Sae-ron, including claims about sexual relations in middle school.
- Kim Soo-hyun’s agency and legal team say the allegations and evidence have been disproven through the legal process, while Kim Se-ui denies the charges.
After an arrest warrant was sought for the notorious YouTuber who allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to spread malicious rumors about actor Kim Soo-hyun, the resulting damages lawsuit is expected to expand from 12 billion won to a staggering 30 billion won ($20 million). Kim Se-ui, operator of the controversial YouTube channel HoverLab (Garo Sero Institute), was taken into custody Wednesday. The case gained nationwide attention last year when the channel released an audio recording of deceased actor Kim Sae-ron allegedly discussing her relationship with Kim Soo-hyun, sparking intense public backlash and forcing the actor to halt his activities for over a year. However, police have now concluded that the audio was generated using AI voice technology. The actor's legal representative, Ko Sang-rok, characterized the incident as unprecedented. "They not only manipulated public perception by spreading unverified allegations and distorting narratives, but even fabricated core evidence such as KakaoTalk messages and voices," Ko said. The case caused immense financial and professional da
2 months agoKim Soo-hyun’s legal team gave its first major interview following the arrest of a controversial Youtuber, who it accused of orchestrating a campaign built on fabricated evidence that “completely destroyed” the actor’s reputation and daily life. Attorney Ko Sang-rok, the actor's legal representative, appeared on MBC’s “News Today” on Thursday and outlined the allegations facing Kim Se-ui, head of the YouTube channel, HoverLab, also known as Garo Sero Institute. Ko said the charges include defamation through false information, blackmail, unauthorized distribution of recorded material and violations of Korea’s anti-stalking law. He said Kim Se-ui spread false claims alleging that Kim Soo-hyun had dated late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor and that the actor’s agency pressured her to repay debts, allegedly contributing to her death. Ko further alleged that materials including KakaoTalk messages and voice recordings attributed to Kim Sae-ron had been manipulated to support those claims. Kim Se-ui was recently arrested over accusations involving fabricated evi
3 months agoA year after South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun broke down in tears at a high-profile press conference over allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron, the controversy has entered yet another dramatic phase. Kim Se-ui, head of controversial YouTube channel HoverLab, also known as Garo Sero Institute, was taken into custody this week, as police reportedly concluded that audio files previously presented as evidence against Kim Soo-hyun were generated using AI technology. According to the Seoul...
3 months agoThe agency of South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun said Wednesday that “the truth is being confirmed through due legal process and a thorough investigation,” following the arrest of a YouTuber who led accusations that the actor dated the late Kim Sae-ron when she was underage. In a statement released a day after the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui, head of HoverLab which runs the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, Gold Medalist said the ruling showed the allegations and evidence presented against Kim were false. Kim Se-ui is facing charges including defamation for allegedly spreading […]...Keep on reading: Kim Soo-hyun’s agency says truth finally proven after YouTuber’s arrest
3 months agoA year after actor Kim Soo-hyun broke down in tears at a high-profile press conference over allegations involving late actress Kim Sae-ron, the controversy has entered yet another dramatic phase. Kim Se-ui, head of controversial YouTube channel HoverLab, also known as Garo Sero Institute, was taken into custody this week as police reportedly concluded that audio files previously presented as evidence against Kim Soo-hyun were generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. According to the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, Judge Boo Dong-sik approved an arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui over allegations including defamation, attempted coercion, intimidation and violations of laws related to distributing illegally produced content. The court said there were concerns about destruction of evidence and flight risk. Kim Se-ui is accused of spreading false claims through YouTube broadcasts suggesting that Kim Sae-ron’s death was linked to Kim Soo-hyun. He also publicly alleged that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor, a claim the actor has repeatedly denied
3 months agoActor Kim Soo-hyun's agency said Wednesday that "truth has been proven" following the arrest of a conservative YouTuber charged with spreading false and fabricated information about the actor over his relationship with late actress Kim Sae-ron. On Tuesday, the Seoul Central District Court granted the arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui, operator of the YouTube channel Hover Lab, who is accused of defaming the actor by falsely claiming that the actor had dated the late actress while she was a minor and that pressure from his side to repay a debt led to her death early last year. The YouTuber is also accused of creating doctored audio recordings of the late actress using artificial intelligence technology to falsely claim she had sexual relations with the actor when she was in middle school. "At last, the truth has been proven through a legally established process and a thorough probe. ... (We) deeply thank investigative authorities for their efforts in uncovering the truth based on objective evidence," Gold Medalist, which represents the actor, said in a statement. The agency noted that the vari
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