On June 23, Attorney Bang Sung-hoon from LKB & Partners, representing Kim Soo-hyun, announced through an official statement that a defamation lawsuit has been filed against the late Kim Sae-ron’s family and a representative named Kim.
Attorney Bang Sung-hoon stated, “The family, using forged audio files as evidence, not only spread false information but also filed a complaint against Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act. This is a clear act of defamation.” Raising his voice, he added, “Forging evidence is a serious crime, but filing a criminal complaint based on forged evidence is an even graver offense.” He emphasized a firm stance, saying, “We will make every effort to ensure they are punished in accordance with the law and principles.”
Previously, last month, the family’s legal representative, Attorney Boo Ji-seok, and representative Kim held a press conference, announcing they had filed complaints against Kim Soo-hyun for violating the Child Welfare Act and defamation.
At the time, the family claimed, “We confirmed that Kim Soo-hyun engaged in obscene acts or sexual harassment, including sexual abuse, against the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a second-year middle school student during winter break, leading to the Child Welfare Act violation complaint.” Since March, through the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, the family has alleged that “Kim Sae-ron, who was 15 in 2016, was in a romantic relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for six years” and demanded that Kim Soo-hyun admit to dating her as a minor.
Kim Soo-hyun’s side has denied these allegations, asserting that the family’s evidence was fabricated. They pointed out that the audio files disclosed during the press conference were forged using AI technology and hinted at legal action. The disclosed audio included statements like, “I felt used since middle school. The first time [we had sex] was around the winter break of my second year in middle school.”
Kim Soo-hyun’s side has filed criminal complaints against the family and Garo Sero Institute, along with a 12 billion KRW (approximately $8.6 million USD) damages lawsuit. Additionally, they filed further complaints against representative Kim for violating the Stalking Punishment Act.
