In a ruling that sent shockwaves into South Korea, Kim Soo-hyun was declared innocent regarding his allegations with Kim Sae-ron. The court ruled that the evidence pointing to Kim Soo-hyun’s inappropriate relationship was largely generated by artificial intelligence (AI) with malicious intent against Kim Soo-hyun.  

Kim Soo-hyun, a renowned actor in South Korea, has recently risen in controversy regarding the death of another Korean actress Kim Sae-ron. Evidence that includes messages, audio clips, and pictures allegedly revealed that Kim Soo-hyun was in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. Furthermore, some believed that Kim Soo-hyun had contributed to the death of Kim Sae-ron by continuously pressuring her to remain silent regarding their relationship. 

Kim Se-ui, operator of the controversial YouTube channel HoverLab (Garo Sero Institute), was recently taken into custody. HoverLab’s audio recording of deceased actor Kim Sae-ron discussing her relationship with Kim Soo-hyun was the centerpiece evidence that made the audience believe in the ongoing relationship between the two.

Kim Soo-hyun was framed as dating a minor and neglecting her until her death due to the audio recording that was revealed amidst the controversy. However, police have now concluded that the audio was generated using AI voice technology.

“I think there is a rising problem in AI usage, especially to harm others,” Yegene Hwang (11), social media user aware of the controversy, said. “There needs to be more caution in what we believe because even the things we see might be fabricated.” 

Kim Soo-hyun’s legal representative Ko Sang-rok characterized the incident as maliciously framing Kim Soo-hyun by spreading unverified allegations and distorting narratives with AI generated images. With the court’s verdict that declares Kim Soo-hyu’s innocence, it calls for more caution in trusting the presented evidence.