Kim Sae-ron’s mother, ‘fake’ aunt face charges over false Kim Soo-hyun claims, agency says

Police have referred several more people to prosecutors in the legal battle surrounding actor Kim Soo-hyun, including the mother of the late actress Kim Sae-ron. That’s according to his agency, Goldmedalist.

In an official statement released on October 26, the agency shared the results of the police investigation into complaints filed by Kim Soo-hyun and Goldmedalist. The complaints targeted Kim Sae-ron’s family, a person who posed as her aunt, and others. Police found grounds for criminal charges against several of them and sent their cases to the prosecution.

Background to the case

Kim Sae-ron died in February 2025 at the age of 24. The following month, the YouTube channel HoverLab Inc., also known as Garosero Research Institute and run by Kim Se-eui, released a series of allegations claiming that Kim Soo-hyun had dated her while she was a minor. Kim Soo-hyun denied the claims and took legal action against those spreading them.

Kim Se-eui was previously arrested and indicted in connection with the case. The latest referrals concern people the agency describes as his accomplices, who allegedly helped spread false information alongside him.

Who has been referred to prosecutors

According to the statement, Kim Sae-ron’s mother and the person who impersonated her aunt have been referred to prosecutors. They face charges that include:

• defamation by spreading false information under the Information and Communications Network Act

• distributing camera footage under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes

• attempted coercion

Police decided not to refer Kim Sae-ron’s father for charges.

Police also opened a separate investigation on their own authority into people who were not named in the original complaints. Two of them have now been referred to prosecutors:

• Boo Ji-seok, the lawyer for Kim Sae-ron’s family, held two press conferences that investigators found relied on false and manipulated material, including fabricated KakaoTalk messages and voice recordings altered with AI. He was referred on charges of defamation under the Criminal Act and of spreading false information under the Information and Communications Network Act.

• Kwon Young-chan, who runs the YouTube channel Kwon Young-chan TV, was referred on a charge of distributing camera footage under the sexual crimes special act.

Agency thanks investigators

Goldmedalist closed its statement by thanking the investigative authorities. It said they had carefully checked the facts against a large body of data and objective evidence to establish what crimes were committed and who was involved.

Prosecutors will now decide whether to formally indict the people referred to them.

The full statement reads:

Hello. This is GOLDMEDALIST.

We are announcing the results of the police investigation regarding the multiple complaints and charges filed by Kim Soo Hyun and our agency against the bereaved family of the late Kim Sae Ron and an individual who impersonated the deceased’s aunt, among others.

Following the earlier arrest and indictment of Kim Se Eui of HoverLab Inc. (Garosero Research Institute) in connection with this case, criminal charges have also been established against accomplices who participated in a series of offenses—including the dissemination of false information alongside Kim Se Eui—and their cases have been forwarded to the prosecution.

The accomplices forwarded this time include the deceased’s mother and the individual who impersonated the deceased’s aunt, who face charges including violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation by stating false information), violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (distribution of footage using cameras, etc.), and attempted coercion. A decision not to forward charges was reached regarding the deceased’s father.

In addition, the police conducted a separate ex officio investigation into accomplices who were not originally included in the initial complaints. Criminal charges have been established against lawyer Boo Ji Seok, legal counsel for the bereaved family who led two press conferences using false and manipulated materials confirmed by investigative authorities (falsified KakaoTalk records, AI-manipulated voice recordings), and Kwon Young Chan, operator of the YouTube channel Kwon Young Chan TV, and both have been forwarded to the prosecution.

Lawyer Boo Ji Seok was forwarded to the prosecution on charges of defamation under the Criminal Act and violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc. (defamation by stating false information), while Kwon Young Chan was forwarded to the prosecution on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (distribution of footage using cameras, etc.).

We express our deep gratitude for the hard work of the investigative authorities, who meticulously verified the facts based on extensive data and objective evidence to uncover the reality of the crimes and those involved.