Gaseyon's Kim Se-eui knew evidence was fabricated yet used it to pressure Kim Soo-hyun, investigation finds

Key evidence behind allegations that Kim Se-eui, head of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute — commonly known as Gaseyon — leveled against actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron has been found to be entirely fabricated. Kim Se-eui released the material despite knowing it could be false. Investigators also found that while Kim Se-eui claimed the National Forensic Service had verified the recordings, the agency concluded it could not authenticate them because no original files were submitted.

MBC's investigative program "Straight," which aired Sunday, reported under the theme "Gaseyon's Exposure Business — A Social Weapon" that Kim Se-eui had pressured Kim Soo-hyun using fabricated evidence and materials of unknown origin. The allegations included claims that the late actor had dated Kim Soo-hyun from her middle school years and that he had subjected her to debt coercion.

According to the broadcast, police determined that audio files purportedly containing statements such as "I dated Kim Soo-hyun since middle school" had been manipulated using AI technology. Messages used to allege that the late actor had been in a relationship as a minor were also found to have been doctored from someone else's conversation.

The tipster who fabricated the audio recordings had also approached Kim Soo-hyun's agency before passing the material to Gaseyon.

The tipster offered to provide an audio file suggesting that Kim Sae-ron had briefly dated Kim Soo-hyun after she came of age, demanding payment and insisting that advertising for products the tipster sold be included as a condition.

Gaseyon, however, received an entirely different recording — one claiming Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since middle school.

The same voice of the late actor was thus used to produce and circulate two recordings with contradictory content.

The broadcast said the tipster had also distributed audio files to several entertainment-focused YouTubers and others, with at least four different versions confirmed so far.

In the arrest warrant application for Kim Se-eui, police stated that he "deliberately manipulated KakaoTalk records with the intent to make it appear as though Kim Soo-hyun was the person exchanging messages with the late Kim Sae-ron, while clearly knowing that the identity of the other party in those conversations had not been established at all."

Ko Sang-rok, the attorney representing Kim Soo-hyun, said on the program that "the very existence of multiple versions of recordings purportedly in Kim Sae-ron's own voice, with mutually contradictory content, is itself proof that none of them can be authentic."

Ahead of his warrant review hearing on May 26, Kim Se-eui had flatly denied allegations of evidence fabrication, saying "the verification was done by the National Forensic Service."

"Straight" countered that claim, reporting that the National Forensic Service had only reviewed the material at police request and ultimately concluded it could not verify the recordings because no original files had been submitted.

The broadcast said the fabricated recordings and unverified allegations not only damaged the late actor's reputation but also caused severe secondary harm to Kim Soo-hyun.

Now cleared of the allegations, Kim Soo-hyun is set to resume his career in earnest, beginning with an advertising shoot scheduled for July.

Meanwhile, prosecutors extended Kim Se-eui's detention by 10 days. He was arrested on charges of spreading false information — including the claim that the late actor Kim Sae-ron had dated fellow actor Kim Soo-hyun from her time as a minor.

Kim Se-eui was transferred to prosecutors' custody by police on June 4, and his initial detention period was set to expire Sunday. Following prosecutors' request for an extension, his detention was extended by 10 more days. Prosecutors may hold a suspect in detention for up to 20 days and are expected to decide whether to indict Kim Se-eui before the second detention period expires on June 23.

이경규 “‘귀뚤닭’ 사업 실패로 ‘꼬꼬면’ 개발…로열티 아직도 받아”

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