With allegations that a recording claiming actor Kim Su-hyun dated the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a middle school student was manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI), the National Forensic Service said it could not determine whether the audio was manipulated.
According to police and others on the 16th, the National Forensic Service notified Seoul Gangnam Police Station last month that the result of its assessment on whether the recording was AI-manipulated was "unable to determine."
The National Forensic Service is said to have concluded that there were technical limits to determining authenticity because the recording submitted by police for analysis was not the original file and contained noise, among other issues.
The transcript contains statements by Kim Sae-ron that she dated Kim Su-hyun since she was a minor and had her first sexual intercourse in the second year of middle school. The recording was released at a press conference on May 7 by Kim Se-eui, operator of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute (Gaseyeon), and attorney Bu Ji-seok of Law Firm Buyou, the legal representative of Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family.
In response, Kim Su-hyun's side filed a complaint the same day against Kim under charges including defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, calling it an "AI-manipulated recording." In August, police requested the National Forensic Service to examine the recording.
Police are reportedly reviewing whether the contents of the transcript are false through forensic analysis of seized items including Kim's cell phone. At a regular briefing the previous day, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said, "We have received the forensic results and are wrapping up the investigation," adding, "As we have completed the necessary questioning, we expect to reach a conclusion soon through analysis of materials and evidence."