Actor Kim Soo-hyun said it has been confirmed that various allegations surrounding him were fabricated and expressed gratitude to fans who believed and waited. It comes about a year after he shed tears at a news conference and appealed that he was falsely accused.
Kim Soo-hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, issued an official statement on the 27th saying, "As a result of the investigation into the complaints and accusations filed by Kim Soo-hyun and our company against Kim Se-eui of the Garosero Research Institute, it has been confirmed that the various allegations and evidence raised by Kim Se-eui's side are not true."
The agency specifically claimed, "The KakaoTalk messages related to the late Kim Sae-ron that were disclosed at the news conference were confirmed to be conversations between other people unrelated to Kim Soo-hyun that were forged and altered, and the deceased's voice was also found to be manipulated material generated using AI technology."
It added, "The court acknowledged the seriousness of the charges, including defamation by stating false facts, violations of the Anti-Stalking Act, violations of the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and intimidation, and issued an arrest warrant for Kim Se-eui," and said, "We thank the investigative authorities for uncovering the truth based on objective evidence."
The agency also emphasized, "At last year's news conference, Kim Soo-hyun said, 'I won't ask you to believe me. I will prove it,'" and added, "The past year was a time to keep that promise, and in the end, the truth was proven through procedures and an investigation prescribed by law."
It added, "We deeply thank everyone who believed in Kim Soo-hyun and waited."
Earlier, on the 26th, the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Se-eui, head of the Garosero Research Institute, who faces charges including defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, intimidation, attempted coercion, and violations of the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, saying there are concerns about destruction of evidence and flight.
Since last year, Kim Se-eui has released claims and audio recordings to the effect that Kim Soo-hyun dated the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side to repay debt was behind Kim Sae-ron's death. Investigative authorities are said to view a significant portion of the KakaoTalk messages and audio materials disclosed at the time as having been fabricated.