Kim Soo-hyun cleared of allegations that he dated a minor
South Korean actor Kim Soo-hyun has been cleared of allegations that he had violated Child Welfare Act after claims that he had a relationship with late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was still a minor.
In a report by The Korea Times, Seoul's Seongdong Police Station said that they have decided not to move forward with pressing charges against Soo-hyun, concluding that the accusation was false.
A police official explained that there was no legal evidence proving that the actor committed child abuse. According to them, the audio recording released by Sae-ron's family alleging that Soo-hyun had dated Sae-ron "from middle school until entering college" had been fabricated using artificial intelligence.
"The case was closed due to insufficient evidence," the official said.
However, Sae-ron's agency denied that the recording was fabricated.
The allegations behind Soo-hyun began last year, months after the death of Sae-ron at the age of 24.
According to reports, YouTube channel HoverLab posted a supposed voice recording of the actresss saying she was dating Soo-hyun since middle school. However, authorities said HoverLab manipulated text messaging screenshots from the actress's phone to make it appear that she had been texting Soo-hyun.
HoverLab head Kim Se-ui allegedly manipulated Sae-ron’s voice via AI in a content in order to defame the actor.
While Soo-hyun admitted to dating Sae-ron, this wasn't when she was still a minor. He has since filed criminal complaints against Se-ui and members of Sae-ron’s family over defamation and misinformation charges.
Se-ui, whose YouTube channel is controversia in South Korea for frequently posting political commentary and celebrity gossip, has been arrested.
Soo-hyun is a top Korean celebrity, having starred in TV series My Love from the Star, It's Okay to Not Be Okay, and Queen of Tears.