' actor Lee Yi-kyung has been swept up in private life rumors, and a person identifying themselves as the exposer, A, warned of additional statements, saying, "I am gathering evidence," spreading the controversy. Since the initial exposure, posts and videos have been repeatedly deleted, creating a confused situation, and the dispute over authenticity appears to be escalating.
In the early hours of the 21st, A released on their blog and social media what they claimed were '19+ conversation captures' and videos of conversations exchanged with Lee Yi-kyung. However, those posts were soon all deleted with the messages, "Posting suspended at the request of another user" and "Temporarily removed under Article 44-2 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network and Information Protection."
Nevertheless, an account presumed to be A's claimed, "There are many things I couldn't capture. I won't say there is no evidence," and said, "I am currently collecting verification." The account also revealed their face and name and explained, "There was an article saying the company said 'it was false' last time, but I said that because I was afraid of retaliatory responses. It was not about money."
Nevertheless, some have alleged that there were circumstances in which A previously demanded money from Lee Yi-kyung's side. According to some online communities, A sent threatening messages based on 'stitched-together conversations' and later even sent an apology email about the false information. Because of this, what initially seemed like a simple incident appeared to end, but the controversy reignited when A revealed their main social media account within a day and again presented 'additional evidence.'
A claimed, "This is not about money but to inform people of Lee Yi-kyung's character," and released a video appearing to show a conversation by sending a message directly to Lee Yi-kyung's social media account, but that video was also deleted following a report. With AI editing technology now widespread, internet users are reacting cautiously, saying, "Deepfakes or composites cannot be ruled out."
Meanwhile, online debates among internet users surrounding both sides are already heated. Opinions are divided, including, "The tone and expressions seem like the real Lee Yi-kyung, so I believe it," "These days voice synthesis is possible, so it's too hasty," "Repeated delete→reupload lowers credibility," and "Isn't this an attempt to extort money from a celebrity?"
Lee Yi-kyung's agency, Sangyoung ENT, said, "The matters being circulated on online communities and social media recently are clear falsehoods," and warned of a strong response, saying, "We received a similar threatening email five months ago, and we are preparing legal measures regarding this matter." Currently, Lee Yi-kyung's side has not issued any additional statements, and a representative said, "We have nothing further to add beyond the official position. We are discussing this with the legal team."
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]