“Kim Soo-hyun defamation detention” Kim Se-ye, second pretrial hearing today (the 15th)

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The trial of Kim Se-ye, president of the media outlet Garoseoro Research Institute (Gaseoyeon), who was indicted on charges of disseminating false information about actor Kim Soo-hyun, is set to resume.

The 26th Criminal Division 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 the 14th Criminal Single Judge Division, which is heard by a single judge, but was reassigned to the 26th Criminal Division, which is heard by three judges, following a decision to convert it to a collegiate bench. A conversion to a collegiate bench is a procedure that changes a case originally assigned to a single-judge panel into one heard by a three-judge panel, 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 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 detention. We hope you will examine whether this aligns with the purpose of a citizen participation trial.”

The attorney continued, “Initially, the substantive truth of this case was not uncovered, and the public did not listen to the victim’s (Kim Soo-hyun) rebuttal, which stemmed from a social atmosphere where it is impossible to criticize the deceased or their bereaved family. We are concerned whether the defendant’s side is trying to bring the distorted atmosphere from the early stages of the case back into the trial again, or whether they are attempting 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) had a relationship with 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 is difficult to make a determination regarding deepfake voice using 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 the deceased.”

Regarding the disclosure of a photo showing part of Kim Soo-hyun’s body exposed on the YouTube broadcast, Kim Se-ye’s side countered, “It does not fall under filming material that could cause sexual shame. It is an everyday photo taken by the deceased at her residence. It is not a photo taken of specific body parts.”

Previously, the Second Women and Children Crimes Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Kim Se-ye in detention 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 filming material using cameras, etc.), and violation of the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes.

Kim Se-ye was suspected of disseminating false information through YouTube live broadcasts, press conferences, and other means from March to May 2025, claiming that the late Kim Sae-ron had a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for about six years since she was a minor, and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun’s side to repay debts was the cause of the deceased’s death. He is also suspected of damaging Kim Soo-hyun’s reputation by manipulating the deceased’s voice using AI and fabricating false information suggesting that the deceased had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since middle school.

The police and prosecutors who investigated the case stated in the indictment that Kim Se-ye transmitted false information 25 times with the intent to defame Kim Soo-hyun. This also included charges of disclosing photos showing Kim Soo-hyun’s exposed body and mentioning the possibility of releasing additional photos, thereby forcing 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 Prosecutors’ Office 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 by a suspect of criminal charges to prevent them from hiding or disposing of the assets before a final judgment. The amount is known to total 169.4 million won. Prosecutors assessed that Kim Se-ye earned at least 54.4 million won in donation funds and at least 115 million won in advertising revenue. Prosecutors explained, “During the police investigation, provisional forfeiture was applied only for about 5 million won in criminal proceeds, but the Crime Proceeds Recovery Division conducted tracking of all donation fund accounts of the company 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 regarding real estate registered under Kim Se-ui (CEO)’s name. The received item is 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 over 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 over 3.6 billion won, a provisional attachment of 2 billion won on Kim Se-ye’s share set up by Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, and a tax delinquency seizure of approximately 2.3 billion won by the Gangnam Tax Office, with the total amount of claims reaching about 8.07 billion won.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original