GOLDMEDALIST, the management agency representing South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun, announced on October 26th the latest developments in its legal battle regarding defamation and the spread of false information linked to the late actress Kim Sae Ron.
In an official statement, GOLDMEDALIST disclosed that following the prior arrest and indictment of Kim Se Eui, operator of the YouTube channel Hover Lab, police have now referred multiple accomplices to the prosecution with recommendations for indictment after confirming evidence of criminal conduct.
According to the agency, those referred to prosecutors include the late actress’s mother, as well as an individual who claimed to be the late Kim Sae Ron’s aunt. The charges brought against them include defamation by spreading false facts through the information and communications network, distribution of illicit recordings under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and attempted extortion. In contrast, the late actress’s father was not referred to the prosecution, with police deciding not to forward charges against him.
The police investigation also expanded through independent inquiries into additional figures not originally named in the initial complaints. GOLDMEDALIST stated that attorney Bu Ji Seok, who served as legal representative for the bereaved family, and Kwon Young Chan, operator of the YouTube channel Kwon Young Chan TV, were also forwarded to prosecutors.
The agency accused both individuals of orchestrating two press conferences using falsified and fabricated evidence, including doctored KakaoTalk messaging logs and AI-generated voice recordings. Bu faces charges of criminal defamation under the Criminal Act and defamation by false information under the Information and Communications Network Act, while Kwon was charged with unauthorized distribution of recorded footage under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
“We express our deepest gratitude to the investigative authorities for their rigorous efforts to uncover the truth and identify those responsible based on an extensive body of objective evidence and clear facts,” GOLDMEDALIST stated.
The controversy originated in March of last year when Hover Lab alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had dated Kim Sae Ron while she was still a minor, further claiming that pressure from GOLDMEDALIST regarding debt repayment contributed to her tragic passing. Kim’s agency denied the allegations of statutory misconduct and coercive debt recovery, clarifying that the two had dated strictly after Kim Sae Ron reached adulthood—from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020.
>> Kim Soo Hyun Demands Hover Lab YouTube Channel Be Shut Down
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