On October 15, the Criminal Division 26 of the Seoul Central District Court held the second pretrial hearing for Kim Se Ui, who faces charges including defamation under South Korea’s Information and Communications Network Act.
Kim Se Ui appeared in court wearing a prison uniform, with his noticeably graying hair drawing attention. After confirming his personal information in response to the judge’s questions, he listened as his legal representatives presented their arguments.
Addressing the court, Kim Se Ui claimed that prosecutors had unfairly portrayed him as a villain. “The prosecution keeps trying to make me look like an evil person. Since my arrest, I have already been demonized,” he said. He argued that the public had come to regard him as someone who fabricated an interview using artificial intelligence to recreate the late Kim Sae Ron’s voice and manufactured KakaoTalk conversations allegedly exchanged between Kim Soo Hyun and the deceased actress. “My reputation has been seriously damaged,” he insisted. Kim Se Ui also denied any risk of destroying evidence, rejecting suggestions that he had conspired with Kim Sae Ron’s family to commit a crime. He argued that the allegations against him had shifted toward claims that he simply accepted the family’s statements without verification. “I did not broadcast based solely on one-sided claims. I carefully analyzed documents, testimony, and information gathered through reporting,” he stated, adding that his team had conducted spectrum analysis and other examinations to assess whether audio recordings had been manipulated using AI.
Kim Se Ui further explained that he had been in Vietnam investigating allegations involving Woo Sang Ho, described as a candidate for governor of Gangwon Province, after previously broadcasting allegations concerning Ulsan mayoral candidate Kim Sang Wook. He said he learned about the arrest warrant while overseas and voluntarily returned to South Korea to attend the warrant hearing. Referring to Kim Soo Hyun’s civil lawsuit seeking approximately 15 billion won in damages from him and Kim Sae Ron’s family, Kim Se Ui argued that he had no reason to flee. He claimed that the deceased actress’s family had few assets, while his own apartment at Hanyang Apartments in Apgujeong, valued at more than 10 billion won, was subject to a provisional seizure. “I have absolutely no reason to run away because I must protect the valuable assets belonging to me and my family,” he said. Expressing confidence that he would ultimately be acquitted, he requested release on bail.
However, prosecutors opposed his bail application, arguing that Kim Se Ui continued to influence YouTube broadcasts even while detained by sending letters to associates. According to the prosecution, releasing him could allow him to resume broadcasting more actively, potentially increasing the risk of repeated offenses and further reporting about the alleged victims. Prosecutors also questioned his attitude toward the proceedings, suggesting that he appeared more interested in using the trial as material for his broadcasts than participating sincerely in the legal process. They warned that he might portray his release as proof of innocence and spread misleading claims that could cause additional harm to those involved.
During the hearing, Kim Se Ui’s defense team discussed evidentiary matters with the court, while prosecutors indicated that they intended to amend the indictment. His lawyers rejected the revised allegations in their entirety, stating that they would submit a detailed written response at the defendant’s request.
Prosecutors also announced plans to call five witnesses for examination. Among those mentioned was director Lee Robe, whose proposed testimony was described as relating to allegations involving the reputation of Kim Sae Ron’s family. Prosecutors also indicated that the witness request was connected to the interests of Kim Soo Hyun’s agency, Gold Medalist.
The court subsequently decided to continue the pretrial proceedings, scheduling the next hearing for October 28.
The first pretrial hearing took place in September. The case had initially been assigned to the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 14, which is presided over by a single judge. However, following a reassignment decision based on the nature of the case, it was transferred to the Criminal Division 26, where a panel of three judges is responsible for the proceedings.
At the previous hearing, Kim Se Ui’s legal representatives maintained their request for a citizen-participation trial, a South Korean legal procedure involving public participation in criminal proceedings. The court ultimately rejected that request after reviewing the matter.
Kim Soo Hyun’s legal representatives had opposed the request, pointing to statements Kim Se Ui allegedly made during his broadcasts. They argued that he had framed the case as a struggle against powerful left-wing political forces and questioned whether such reasoning was consistent with the purpose of a citizen-participation trial. They also expressed concern that he continued making similar statements while in custody.
The actor’s lawyers further argued that public discussion of the controversy had initially been shaped by an atmosphere in which criticizing the deceased actress or her family was considered socially unacceptable. According to their position, this made it difficult for Kim Soo Hyun’s rebuttals to receive fair consideration. They expressed concern that Kim Se Ui’s defense might attempt to revive what they characterized as the distorted public atmosphere surrounding the case or turn the proceedings into a political controversy.
The two sides also remained sharply divided over the substance of the indictment. Kim Se Ui’s lawyers denied that the statements at the center of the defamation allegations were false. They maintained that Kim Sae Ron had dated Kim Soo Hyun while she was still a minor, citing what they described as notes written by the actor before his military enlistment, KakaoTalk messages, and photographs and videos allegedly taken at his residence. They also argued that South Korea’s National Forensic Service had merely stated that it could not reach a definitive conclusion about possible voice manipulation based on the materials provided, rather than confirming that the recordings were fabricated.
The defense additionally claimed that information presented during Kim Se Ui’s YouTube broadcasts had been verified with Kim Sae Ron’s family. According to his lawyers, the late actress’s mother had identified the voice in a disputed recording as belonging to her daughter.
Regarding the publication of photographs showing parts of Kim Soo Hyun’s body, the defense denied that the images constituted sexually humiliating material under the relevant law. His lawyers argued that the photographs were ordinary pictures taken by Kim Sae Ron at her residence and were not intended to focus on particular body parts.
Previously, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Women and Children Crime Investigation Division 2 indicted Kim Se Ui while he was in custody on multiple charges, including online defamation, alleged violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes involving the distribution of camera-recorded materials, and alleged violations of anti-stalking legislation.
According to the indictment, Kim Se Ui allegedly spread false claims through YouTube livestreams and press conferences between March and May 2025. These included allegations that Kim Soo Hyun had been romantically involved with Kim Sae Ron for approximately six years, beginning when she was a minor, and that pressure from the actor’s side to repay a debt had contributed to her death. Prosecutors also accused Kim Se Ui of using AI to manipulate audio resembling the late actress’s voice and presenting the recording as evidence that she had dated Kim Soo Hyun since middle school. These remain allegations under judicial examination, and Kim Se Ui has denied wrongdoing.
Police and prosecutors alleged in the indictment that Kim Se Ui disseminated false information on 25 occasions with the intention of damaging Kim Soo Hyun’s reputation. The charges also include allegations that he publicly released photographs exposing parts of the actor’s body and suggested that additional images could be disclosed, allegedly to pressure Kim Soo Hyun into acknowledging a relationship with Kim Sae Ron and issuing a public apology.
Separately, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Criminal Proceeds Recovery Division completed a preservation registration concerning land owned by Kim Se Ui as part of efforts to secure assets potentially subject to confiscation.
A confiscation preservation order is a temporary legal measure designed to prevent a suspect from hiding, transferring, or disposing of assets believed to be connected to criminal proceeds before a final judgment. In this case, the amount reportedly totals 169.4 million won. Prosecutors estimated that Kim Se Ui had earned at least 54.4 million won through donations and another 115 million won through advertising. They explained that although police initially sought preservation of only approximately 5 million won in suspected criminal proceeds, the specialized recovery division conducted a broader investigation, including tracing donation accounts linked to Kim Se Ui’s company, interviewing relevant company officials, and examining his assets.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Central District Court also ordered the commencement of auction proceedings involving real estate registered under Kim Se Ui’s name. The property in question is an apartment at Hanyang Apartments in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam District. The proceedings were initiated following an application by attorney Kim So Yeon, who claimed that Kim Se Ui owed her approximately 120 million won in unpaid legal fees and related expenses.
Kim So Yeon reportedly applied for compulsory enforcement based on a payment order issued by the Daejeon District Court. However, the property’s registry already lists several prior claims, including approximately 3.6 billion won in bank mortgages, a 2 billion won provisional seizure placed on Kim Se Ui’s ownership interest by Kim Soo Hyun’s agency Gold Medalist, and approximately 2.3 billion won in tax-related seizures by the Gangnam Tax Office. The total amount of registered claims reportedly reaches approximately 8.07 billion won, adding further financial complications to Kim Se Ui’s ongoing legal battle.
Sources: Nate