Kim Soo-hyun to face Kim Se-eui in court Wednesday as witness in defamation trial

Actor Kim Soo-hyun is set to appear as a witness at the trial of Kim Se-eui, head of YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, who has been indicted on charges of defaming Kim Soo-hyun.

According to Star Today, Kim Soo-hyun will take the stand Wednesday at Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 26, where Kim Se-eui faces charges including defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection and violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.

Kim Se-eui raised allegations through the YouTube channel in March last year that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor. Kim Se-eui later claimed that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side to repay debts had directly contributed to the late actor's death.

Prosecutors indicted Kim Se-eui in June on charges of spreading false information to damage Kim Soo-hyun's reputation. Additional charges include releasing an audio recording in which the late Kim Sae-ron's voice had been manipulated using AI, distributing private photos of Kim Soo-hyun without consent, and pressuring Kim Soo-hyun by threatening to release further material.

Kim Se-eui has denied all charges. He maintains that the allegations about a relationship between Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron are not false, and that the materials he released were provided by the bereaved family. He has also rejected allegations that the audio recording was AI-manipulated.

Kim Se-eui had earlier requested a jury trial, but the court denied the application. He has since filed for bail, citing mental illness among other grounds.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun's legal team has filed for an injunction against Kim Se-eui, seeking the removal of related YouTube videos and a ban on further uploads.