Head of Garosero Research indicted on charges of spreading false claims about actor Kim Soo-hyun

Kim Se-eui, head of the YouTube channel Garosero Research, has been indicted in custody on charges of spreading false claims that the late actor Kim Sae-ron died as a result of debt pressure from actor Kim Soo-hyun's side.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's Second Division for Women and Children Crime Investigation said Tuesday it had indicted Kim on charges including defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and violation of the Act on Punishment of Stalking Crimes.

Kim is accused of spreading false claims through YouTube and other platforms alleging that Kim Soo-hyun had dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side to repay debts was the direct cause of her death.

He also faces charges of threatening Kim Soo-hyun by broadcasting the actor's private photos without consent, hinting at the release of additional personal material, and demanding a public apology.

The Seoul Gangnam Police Station, which handled the initial investigation, concluded that Kim had knowingly produced the videos despite being aware the content was false, doing so to attract public attention. The station applied for an arrest warrant on May 14.

Kim denied all charges, but the court issued the warrant, citing concerns that he might destroy evidence or flee.

Prosecutors, who took over the case, conducted supplementary investigations including interviewing victims and analyzing audio recordings. They said they found evidence that Kim had arbitrarily edited and distorted materials, and had recklessly used fabricated content without basic fact-checking.

Prosecutors determined that the false claims about Kim Soo-hyun's private life had spread widely among the public, causing significant harm, and reflected this in the indictment.

"We will continue to respond with zero tolerance toward creators of malicious content who spread fake news under the guise of private sanctions in online spaces and stoke public hostility toward specific individuals," a prosecutor said.