Kim Se-ye, 'Kim Soo-hyun Defamation Detention,' Appears in Court Wearing Prison Uniform.. His Gray Hair Has Increased [Star Scene]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Kim Se-ye, the representative of the research institute Garoseuro Research Institute (Gaseoyeon), who was indicted on charges of disseminating false information about actor Kim Soo-hyun, appeared at the second pretrial hearing.

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

On this day, Kim Se-ye appeared in court wearing a prison uniform. He drew attention with his appearance, which showed an increase in gray hair.

Kim Se-ye's attorney discussed evidence-related matters with the court, and the Prosecution Service mentioned an application to amend the indictment. In response, Kim Se-ye's side stated regarding the amended facts of the prosecution: "We do not agree overall. It is based on the defendant's request, and we will submit specific details in writing."

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

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

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

They continued: "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 not possible 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 of the prosecution. 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 deep voice using only the provided materials."

Additionally, Kim Se-ye's side claimed that they had verified the truthfulness 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 photos showing part of Kim Soo-hyun's body exposed on a YouTube broadcast, Kim Se-ye's side also countered: "It does not fall under filming materials that could cause sexual shame. It is an everyday photo taken by the deceased at her residence. It is not a photo of specific body parts."

Previously, the Women and Children Crime Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecution Service indicted Kim Se-ye in detention on charges including violation of the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation), violation of the Special Act on Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (distribution of filming materials using cameras, etc.), and violation of the Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes.

Kim Se-ye was suspected of disseminating false information to the effect 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 became the cause of the deceased's death, through YouTube live broadcasts, press conferences, etc., from March to May 2025. He is also suspected of damaging Kim Soo-hyun's reputation by manipulating the deceased's voice using AI and fabricating false facts that the deceased had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since middle school.

The police and Prosecution Service, which investigated the case, stated in the indictment that Kim Se-ye transmitted false information 25 times in total with the purpose of slandering Kim Soo-hyun. This also included charges of disclosing photos showing Kim Soo-hyun's body exposed and mentioning the possibility of disclosing 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 completed the registration for preservation of forfeiture regarding land owned by Kim Se-ye.

Preservation of 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 them before the finalization of a judgment. The amount is known to be 169.4 million won in total. The Prosecution Service assessed that Kim Se-ye earned at least 54.4 million won in donation funds and at least 115 million won in advertising revenue. The Prosecution Service explained: "During the police investigation, preservation of forfeiture was applied for only regarding approximately 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 property inquiries."

Subsequently, the Seoul Central District Court decided to initiate auction proceedings for real estate 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 approximately 120 million won including attorney fees 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 lists prior-ranking claims such as a total bank mortgage of over 3.6 billion won, a provisional attachment of 2 billion won on Kim Se-ye's share set by Gold Medalist, Kim Soo-hyun's agency, and a national tax delinquency seizure of approximately 2.3 billion won by the Gangnam Tax Office, with the total amount of claims reaching approximately 8.07 billion won.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original