“Felt Forced” in Middle School with Kim Soo-hyun vs “It Was AI”: Kim Sae-ron Recording Sparks Debate

A heated controversy has erupted in Korea’s entertainment industry as a voice recording—reportedly of the late actress Kim Sae-ron—was released, claiming she dated actor Kim Soo-hyun during their middle school years. Kim’s legal team has strongly denied the claim, arguing the recording was fabricated using AI technology.

On May 7, a press conference was held in Gangnam, Seoul, addressing what was titled as “Major Crimes Involving Kim Soo-hyun.” Present at the event were lawyer Bu Ji-seok, representing Kim Sae-ron’s family, and Kim Se-ui, from the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (Gaseyeon). During the conference, Kim Se-ui shared that the audio clip had been provided by a source living in New Jersey, USA, and proceeded to play a portion of it publicly.

In the recording, the voice—allegedly belonging to Kim Sae-ron—claims that she and Kim Soo-hyun began dating in middle school and broke up when she entered college. The speaker also states, “It might sound crazy, but we started dating when I was in middle school... I think it was during the winter break of 8th grade when we first 'slept together'. Looking back now, maybe I should say I was taken advantage of.”

The recording also includes the speaker alleging that journalist Lee Jin-ho had spread false information about her and obstructed her career comeback.

But the allegations did not stop there. Kim Se-ui claimed the source who provided the recording was violently attacked by unknown assailants, allegedly from Korea and China, and was stabbed nine times.

According to attorney Bu Ji-seok, the family of Kim Sae-ron filed a criminal complaint against Kim Soo-hyun on the same day of the press conference, citing violations of the Child Welfare Act and filing false accusations. Bu stated that the family believes Kim engaged in sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior toward Kim Sae-ron during her time as a minor.

In response, journalist Lee Jin-ho and YouTuber Eun Hyun-jang (of the channel “Master of Business”) held their own press conference, also in Gangnam.

Lee claimed that an independent analysis showed the controversial audio had been created using AI-generated speech, and was later modified with added noise and another person's voice. He further alleged that the individual who sent the clip had previously tried to contact not only him but also Kim Soo-hyun’s side to demand large sums of money.

Lee also discredited photos shared by Gaseyeon to support the alleged stabbing incident, saying the images were easily found via Google and traced back to events from four and ten years ago, respectively.

Kim Soo-hyun’s legal representation, law firm LKB & Partners, also issued an official statement later that day, asserting that the voice recording was entirely fabricated and appeared to have been generated using AI.

Meanwhile, Kim Se-ui countered those claims through his YouTube channel, alleging that individuals including Lee Jin-ho had contacted the source previously, promising financial compensation worth billions of won in exchange for the recording. He also released videos and call logs of the person claiming to be the original whistleblower, further fueling the ongoing dispute.

The controversy continues to grow as both sides present conflicting evidence and testimonies.

Previously, in March, Kim Sae-ron’s family—via Gaseyeon—claimed that the actress had been in a romantic relationship with Kim Soo-hyun for six years, starting in 2016 when she was 15 years old. In response, Kim’s agency Gold Medalist stated on March 14 that the two had only dated briefly between summer 2019 and fall 2020, after Kim Sae-ron became a legal adult.

As speculation mounted, Kim Soo-hyun held an emotional press conference on March 31, denying any romantic involvement with Kim Sae-ron during her time as a minor. He broke down in tears, stating, “I never dated her when she was underage.”

With shocking claims and AI-fueled denials at play, the scandal continues to spiral—leaving the public with one lingering question: what’s the real truth?

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