South Korean police have charged YouTuber Kim Se-eui with fabricating evidence using AI-generated audio and manipulated screenshots to falsely claim actor Kim Soo-hyun dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. The allegations targeted Kim Soo-hyun's reputation and career, causing public appearances to halt and projects to be delayed [1, 2, 3].
Kim Se-eui, who runs a YouTube channel with nearly one million followers, reportedly spread these false claims for financial gain. The AI audio was crafted to sound like Kim Sae-ron saying she dated Kim Soo-hyun since middle school. Screenshots showing fabricated text messages between the two were also altered by Kim Se-eui to falsely implicate the actor [1, 2, 3].
Kim Soo-hyun has consistently denied the allegations, stating his relationship with Kim Sae-ron began only after she was an adult. He is currently receiving psychiatric treatment due to the severe emotional distress the scandal caused [1, 3].
South Korean police said in their arrest warrant request, "The suspect distributed false information with the intent to defame Kim Soo-hyun, despite being fully aware that he had never been in a relationship with the deceased from when she was a minor" [2]. Prosecutors have formally requested an arrest warrant for Kim Se-eui on charges related to the illegal distribution of manipulated material [2, 3].
The scandal began in 2025 after Kim Sae-ron's death, when rumors first emerged online accusing Kim Soo-hyun of dating her while she was underage [1, 3]. Early this year, Kim Se-eui posted the AI-generated audio and doctored screenshots that intensified the controversy [1, 2].
Kim Se-eui publicly shared the arrest warrant and criticized the prosecution in a video on his channel, saying the prosecutor who requested the warrant should "be ashamed" and requested to be sent to the detention facility where disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol is held [3].
The arrest warrant hearing is scheduled for May 26, 2026, at the Seoul Central District Court [3]. Authorities are expected to decide whether to detain Kim Se-eui pending further investigation.
