Kim Se-eui, jailed over Kim Soo-hyun defamation case, faces bail hearing Thursday

Kim Se-eui, head of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, has applied for bail after being indicted on charges including defamation of actor Kim Soo-hyun.

Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 26, presided over by Judge Lee Hyeon-gyeong, is set to hold a bail hearing for Kim at 11 a.m. Thursday, according to legal sources Wednesday.

Bail is a procedure by which a court releases a detained defendant pending trial, typically subject to the payment of a deposit or other conditions.

Kim was indicted in June after allegedly spreading false claims on YouTube and other platforms that Kim Soo-hyun had dated the late actor Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor, and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side to repay debts was the direct cause of Kim Sae-ron's death.

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

The court issued an arrest warrant against Kim in May, citing concerns that he might destroy evidence or flee.

Kim subsequently filed a petition challenging the legality of his detention, but the court dismissed it, ruling there were no grounds for the request.

Kim is also standing trial on separate charges of defaming the son of Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk, who serves as head of the party's innovation policy research institute, as well as stalking and threatening YouTuber "Tzuyang," whose real name is Park Jeong-won.