Kim Se Eui, the operator of the YouTube channel HoverLab, has been indicted while under arrest over allegations that he spread false claims involving actor Kim Soo Hyun and the late Kim Sae Ron.
According to News1 on June 23rd, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Kim on charges including defamation and stalking.
Prosecutors said Kim allegedly spread false information about Kim Soo Hyun’s private life through YouTube livestreams and press conferences between March and May of last year. The claims included allegations that Kim Soo Hyun had dated Kim Sae Ron for about six years, starting when she was 15, and that pressure from Kim Soo Hyun over debt repayment was directly tied to her death.
Investigators found that Kim allegedly edited or distorted materials and used unverified false information without basic fact-checking to spread claims about the victim’s private life. Prosecutors also said an audio analysis by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s forensic science division was part of the supplementary investigation.
Kim is also accused of damaging Kim Soo Hyun’s reputation by allegedly using generative AI to fabricate Kim Sae Ron’s voice.
A court issued an arrest warrant for Kim on May 26th, citing concerns that he could destroy evidence or flee. Police stated in the warrant request that Kim allegedly knew Kim Soo Hyun had not dated the late actress when she was a minor and that Kim Soo Hyun was not responsible for her death, but still spread false information with the intent to defame him.
Police also said Kim played an AI-manipulated audio file at a May 7th press conference and made false claims about both actors.
Kim later requested a review of the legality of his arrest, but the court rejected the request, finding no grounds to grant it.
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