Actor Kim Soo-hyun to testify against YouTuber in defamation trial
Summary
Actor Kim Soo-hyun is scheduled to testify at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul in the trial of Kim Se-ui, head of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute. The witness examination will be held behind closed doors to protect the victim. Kim Se-ui faces charges including defamation, distributing illegally filmed material and stalking, and has denied all charges. The court has not yet ruled on his bail request.
Key Facts
- Kim Se-ui was arrested and indicted in June over claims he made in YouTube broadcasts and press conferences between March and December last year.
- Kim Se-ui alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron for about six years, beginning when she was 15, and that pressure to repay debts was a factor in her death.
- The charges include defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act and distribution of illegally filmed material under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
- Kim Se-ui is also accused of releasing edited KakaoTalk screenshots and fabricated audio recordings, including one in which Kim Sae-ron’s voice was manipulated using generative artificial intelligence.
- Kim Se-ui applied for bail last month, arguing that solitary confinement could seriously threaten his mental health because he has panic disorder and other mental health conditions.
Actor Kim Soo-hyun / Korea Times file
Actor Kim Soo-hyun will appear as a witness in the trial of Kim Se-ui, head of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (Gaseyeon), who has been indicted on charges of defaming the actor and spreading false information about him.
According to legal sources Friday, Kim Soo-hyun is scheduled to testify at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Seoul Central District Court in the trial of Kim Se-ui, who faces charges including defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, distribution of illegally filmed material under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and stalking.
The witness examination will be held behind closed doors to protect the victim.
Kim Se-ui was arrested and indicted in June on charges of spreading false claims through YouTube broadcasts and press conferences between March and December last year. He alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron for about six years, beginning when she was 15, and that pressure from the actor's side to repay debts was a factor in her death.
Kim also faces allegations of releasing edited screenshots of KakaoTalk conversations and fabricated audio recordings, including a recording in which the deceased actress's voice was manipulated using generative artificial intelligence.
Kim Se-ui has denied all the charges throughout the trial.
Last month, Kim applied for bail, arguing that his solitary confinement could pose a serious threat to his mental health because he suffers from panic disorder and other mental health conditions. The court has yet to rule on his bail request.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
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