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Kim Soo-hyun. (Photo = Yonhap News Agency) |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] The head of a controversial YouTube channel has been arrested on charges including defamation of actor Kim Soo-hyun, authorities said.
The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui, head of the YouTube channel “Garosero Research Institute,” on May 26 following a pretrial detention hearing. The court cited concerns over potential destruction of evidence and flight risk.
Kim is accused of spreading false claims between March and May last year that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. He is also charged under laws related to sexual crimes for allegedly creating and distributing manipulated audio recordings using artificial intelligence.
During the hearing, Kim denied all allegations, stating that he would contest the charges and arguing that the warrant was unjustified. He also questioned the validity of claims regarding AI manipulation, citing conflicting assessments between authorities and private analysts.
Kim further claimed that the investigation was politically motivated and intended to obstruct his reporting activities ahead of upcoming local elections.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
