Actor Kim Soo-hyun appears as witness at trial of YouTuber who spread false claims about him

Actor Kim Soo-hyun appeared Wednesday as a witness at the criminal trial of Kim Se-eui, head of the YouTube channel Gaseyon, who was indicted on charges including spreading false information about the actor.

Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 26, presided over by Chief Judge Lee Hyeon-gyeong, held the first hearing Wednesday afternoon in the case against Kim Se-eui on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection through defamation, as well as violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes.

Kim Soo-hyun arrived at the courthouse around 1:40 p.m. but did not appear before reporters.

About 30 minutes into the hearing, the court closed the proceedings to the public — citing the inclusion of sexual violence charges — and proceeded with the witness examination of Kim Soo-hyun.

Before the session was closed, Kim Se-eui's defense denied the charges once more.

"We deny all charges in the indictment," the defense attorney said, adding that the facts Kim Se-eui had stated were not false and that the relevant materials had been verified with the bereaved family and others.

Given the floor to speak, Kim Se-eui asked the court to grant bail. "While in detention, I cannot verify or investigate any materials," Kim Se-eui said. "Please grant bail as soon as possible so that I can contest this fairly against Kim Soo-hyun in court."

Kim Se-eui was indicted and detained in June on charges of spreading false claims through YouTube and other platforms — including allegations that Kim Soo-hyun had dated the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun's side to repay debts was the cause of her death.

Kim Se-eui also faces charges of defaming Kim Soo-hyun by releasing an AI-manipulated recording of Kim Sae-ron's voice, and of disclosing private photos of Kim Soo-hyun without consent. Kim Se-eui is additionally accused of threatening Kim Soo-hyun's side by implying further private material would be released.

Kim Se-eui has denied all charges and has applied for bail on grounds including a mental health condition, and is awaiting the court's decision.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun's side has filed a request for the deletion and prohibition of Gaseyon YouTube videos containing defamatory content about the actor, and is also awaiting a court ruling.