Kim Soo-hyun Files Additional Defamation Lawsuit Against Kim Sae-ron's Family and Kim Se-yeon

On June 23, actor Kim Soo-hyun (37) announced through his legal representatives, LK Law Firm, that he has filed an additional defamation lawsuit against Kim Se-yeon (49), the operator of the Garoseoro Research Institute, and the family of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. The statement emphasized their commitment to ensuring that those responsible face legal consequences.

This legal action follows a press conference held by Kim Se-yeon on May 7, where he allegedly used AI-generated deep voice technology to present fabricated audio recordings. During the conference, he claimed that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron since middle school and accused Kim Soo-hyun's team of attempting to bribe a whistleblower with 4 billion KRW to suppress evidence, even suggesting that they hired hitmen to eliminate the whistleblower when he refused.

The law firm stated, 'The actions of Kim Se-yeon and the family of Kim Sae-ron go beyond merely spreading false information; they have also accused Kim Soo-hyun of defamation and violations of child welfare laws, which constitutes a clear act of defamation.' They further asserted that fabricating evidence is a serious crime, and using such evidence to file criminal charges is an even graver offense.

Since March, Kim Soo-hyun and the family of Kim Sae-ron have been embroiled in a dispute regarding the timeline of their alleged relationship. The family claims that Kim Sae-ron was in a romantic relationship with Kim Soo-hyun starting in 2016 when she was just 15 years old, while Kim Soo-hyun's side contends that their relationship only began after she turned 18, specifically from the summer of 2019 to the fall of 2020. Kim Soo-hyun has publicly denied these allegations in a press conference.

The legal battles continue, with Kim Sae-ron's family having previously filed charges against Kim Soo-hyun for violations of child welfare laws and defamation. In response, Kim Soo-hyun's team has also filed additional lawsuits against Kim Se-yeon for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act and against Kim Sae-ron's family for the same reasons. They are also pursuing 12 billion KRW in damages.