Prosecutors seek warrant for Kim Se‑ui

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office sought an arrest warrant on May 20 for Kim Se-ui, the head of the YouTube channel Hoverlab, also known as Garo Sero Institute, in a defamation case tied to actor Kim Soo-hyun. South Korean media reports said the case centers on allegations that Kim Se-ui distributed fabricated material, including messenger screenshots and an audio file presented as evidence in claims about Kim Soo-hyun and the late actor Kim Sae-ron. A spokesman for the Seoul Central District Court told AFP that Kim Se-ui’s warrant hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on May 26. Kim Se-ui has denied wrongdoing, according to Korean media reports. ### Which allegations are prosecutors and police focusing on? Police documents cited by The Korea Herald, Chosun and JoongAng Daily said investigators concluded that claims Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor were false and were supported in part by manipulated material. The reports said the material included KakaoTalk chat records, related transcripts and an audio recording circulated through Kim Se-ui’s channel. (koreaherald.com) An audio file released in May last year was determined by police to have been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence, according to The Korea Herald, Chosun and The Korea Times, which cited police documents or legal sources. The Korea Times also reported that police booked the legal representative of Kim Sae-ron’s bereaved family as an alleged accomplice, suspecting the lawyer of helping provide manipulated materials to Kim Se-ui. (koreaherald.com) ### How did this dispute begin? In May 2025, Kim Se-ui and lawyers linked to Kim Sae-ron’s family publicly advanced claims that Kim Soo-hyun had dated the late actor beginning in 2015, when she was underage, according to prior JoongAng Daily and Korea Times reports. Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Goldmedalist, acknowledged that the two had been in a relationship but denied it began when Kim Sae-ron was a minor. (koreatimes.co.kr) On March 31, 2025, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference in Seoul to address the allegations, JoongAng Daily reported. His side later filed additional criminal complaints and civil claims against Kim Se-ui and others involved in spreading the accusations, according to Korean media reports. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) ### What charges are attached to the warrant request? Legal sources cited by Chosun said prosecutors applied charges including defamation and violations of South Korea’s Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes. Chosun’s English-language reports said police first applied for a warrant on May 14, and prosecutors then sought the warrant on May 20 after receiving the case. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) The Korea Herald reported that the warrant request followed the transfer of the case from police to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. That report said Kim Se-ui is accused of damaging Kim Soo-hyun’s reputation by spreading false information through YouTube broadcasts and other channels. ### Why has the AI issue drawn attention in this case? (chosun.com) The Korea Times, The Korea Herald and JoongAng Daily reported that investigators treated the disputed audio and chat materials as possible fabricated evidence rather than ordinary online rumor. That distinction matters because the alleged materials were cited publicly as proof in a high-profile criminal and defamation dispute involving a major South Korean actor. (koreaherald.com) A December 2025 JoongAng Daily report said the National Forensic Service had earlier told police it could not determine whether one audio recording had been fabricated using AI. The newer May 2026 reports, citing police documents reviewed by newspapers, indicate investigators later concluded at least some of the material had been manipulated. (koreatimes.co.kr) ### What happens next in Seoul? May 26 is the next key date in the case. The Seoul Central District Court spokesman told AFP that Kim Se-ui is scheduled to appear that morning for a pre-arrest warrant review, after which a judge will decide whether to issue the warrant sought by prosecutors. (malaymail.com) (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com)