[Exclusive]Excluded from citizen participation trial... Kim Se-ye's defamation case against Kim Soo-hyun resumes on the 15th

*This content was translated by AI.

The trial of Kim Se-ye, president of Garo Seroresearch Institute (Gaseoyeon), who was indicted for spreading false information about actor Kim Soo-hyun, is set to resume on the 15th.

The Criminal Division 26 of the Seoul Central District Court will hold the second pretrial hearing on the 15th regarding Kim Se-ui (CEO)'s charges including violation of the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation).

Previously, the court held the first pretrial hearing for Kim Se-ui (CEO) in September. The case was initially assigned to Criminal Division 14, a single-judge panel, but was reassigned to Criminal Division 26, a three-judge panel, following a decision on collective deliberation. Collective deliberation is a procedure that changes a case heard by a single judge into one heard by a collegiate panel of three judges, taking into account the nature of the case.

At the time, Kim Se-ye's defense attorney stated, "Our desire for a citizen participation trial remains unchanged," maintaining their application for such a trial. However, the court decided not to accept the request after concluding the pretrial hearing.

Kim Soo-hyun's defense attorney addressed the court, saying, "If you look at what (Kim Se-ye) said on broadcast regarding why the defendant (Kim Se-ye) desires a citizen participation trial, he states that 'we must fight against the massive left-wing power, so a citizen participation trial is necessary.' The defendant continues to make this claim even while in custody. We hope you will examine whether this aligns with the purpose of a citizen participation trial."

They added, "The reason the substantive truth of this case was not initially discovered and the public did not listen to the victim's (Kim Soo-hyun) rebuttal stems from a social atmosphere where it is difficult to criticize the deceased or their bereaved family. We are concerned whether the defendant's side is trying to bring the distorted early atmosphere of the case back into the trial, or whether they intend to use it politically."

The two sides also clashed over the facts alleged in the indictment. Kim Se-ye's side argued, "Regarding the defamation portion, the specified facts are not false. The deceased (the late Kim Sae-ron) dated the victim since she was a minor. There exist notes written by the victim before his military enlistment, KakaoTalk messages, and photos and videos taken at the victim's home. The National Forensic Service merely replied that it was difficult to make a determination regarding deepfake voice with only the provided materials."

Additionally, Kim Se-ye's side claimed that they had verified the authenticity of the materials presented by Kim Se-ye on his YouTube broadcast with the bereaved family, stating, "The deceased's mother said she was certain that the voice in the recording file belonged to her daughter."

Regarding the disclosure of photos showing parts of Kim Soo-hyun's body exposed on a YouTube broadcast, Kim Se-ye's side countered, "They do not qualify as visual materials that could cause sexual humiliation. They are everyday photos taken by the deceased at her residence. They are not shots focused on specific body parts."

Previously, the Women and Children Crimes Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecution Service indicted Kim Se-ye in custody on charges including violation of the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation), violation of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (distribution of visual materials obtained through camera use, etc.), and violation of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes.

Kim Se-ye was suspected of spreading false information between March and May 2025 through YouTube live broadcasts, press conferences, and other means, claiming that the late Kim Sae-ron dated Kim Soo-hyun for approximately six years since she was a minor, and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side to repay debts contributed to her death. He is also suspected of defaming Kim Soo-hyun by manipulating the deceased's voice using AI to fabricate false information suggesting they had been dating since she was in middle school.

The police and Prosecution Service, which investigated the case, stated in the indictment that Kim Se-ye transmitted false information 25 times with the intent to defame Kim Soo-hyun. The charges also include disclosing photos showing Kim Soo-hyun's exposed body and mentioning the possibility of releasing additional photos to force Kim Soo-hyun's side to acknowledge the relationship with the deceased and issue a public apology.

Meanwhile, the Crime Proceeds Recovery Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecution Service has completed the registration of provisional forfeiture for land owned by Kim Se-ye.

Provisional forfeiture is a measure that temporarily freezes proceeds obtained through illegal acts to prevent the suspect from hiding or disposing of them before a final judgment. The amount is known to be 169.4 million won in total. The Prosecution Service determined that Kim Se-ye earned at least 54.4 million won from donations and at least 115 million won from advertising. The Prosecution Service explained, "During the police investigation, provisional forfeiture was applied only to approximately 5 million won in criminal proceeds, but the Crime Proceeds Recovery Division conducted tracking of all donation accounts for companies operated by Kim Se-ye, key witness investigations of company officials, and asset inquiries."

Subsequently, the Seoul Central District Court decided to initiate auction proceedings for real estate registered under Kim Se-ui (CEO)'s name. The property filed was one unit in a Hyundai Apartment in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu. This procedure began with an application by Attorney Kim So-yeon, who claimed that she had not received approximately 120 million won in attorney fees and other costs from Kim Se-ui (CEO).

Attorney Kim So-yeon had previously applied for compulsory execution based on a payment order from the Daejeon District Court. However, the registry shows prior-ranking claims including a total bank mortgage of approximately 3.6 billion won, an attachment of Kim Se-ye's share set by Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, amounting to 2 billion won, and a tax lien for unpaid national taxes from the Gangnam Tax Office of approximately 2.3 billion won, with total claims reaching approximately 8.07 billion won.

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*This content was translated by AI.