Kim Se-ui Arrested for Spreading AI-Manipulated Rumors About Kim Soo-hyun

Kim Se-ui, CEO of the Garosero Research Institute, was arrested on May 26, 2026, for allegedly disseminating false information regarding actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron. The Seoul Gangnam Police Station determined that rumors claiming Kim Soo-hyun caused the actress's death through debt pressure relied on evidence manipulated with AI technology.

Key Facts

• CEO Kim Se-ui faces charges for spreading false claims that Kim Soo-hyun maintained a relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor and pressured her into fatal debt.
• Police investigations indicate Kim Se-ui allegedly used AI to forge KakaoTalk conversations and voice recordings of the deceased to validate these claims.
• The court issued an arrest warrant due to the severity of the charges and the risk of evidence destruction or collusion.
• Kim Soo-hyun’s legal team, having initially filed a 12 billion won ($9.2M USD) lawsuit, plans to increase the claim to approximately 30 billion won ($23M USD) to cover economic losses.
• The defense denies manipulation, asserting the National Forensic Service could not definitively prove the recordings were forged.
• The actor's legal team noted that the informant who provided the inconsistent recordings has gone into hiding.

Key Terms

• Garosero Research Institute: A media outlet led by Kim Se-ui, accused of spreading misinformation for financial gain.
• AI-Manipulated Recordings: Digital evidence created using artificial intelligence to mimic voices or simulate conversations.
• Pretrial Detention: The custody of a suspect prior to trial, ordered here due to concerns regarding evidence tampering.

Key Quote

"We believe he continued to raise and expand suspicions with provocative content to gain enormous views and social influence, and based on this, ultimately obtain economic benefits such as donation income." — Ko Sang-rok, Attorney

Next

• Kim Soo-hyun’s legal representative will re-calculate total damages to increase the lawsuit amount to 30 billion won (~$23M USD).
• The investigation continues into the missing informant who provided the mismatched recording files.