[MyDaily = Reporter Park Seo-yeon] Actor Kim Soo-hyun, whose private life was marred by false allegations, has cleared his name after roughly a year. The arrest of Kim Se-ui, head of the GaroSero Research Institute, who had accused Kim of dating the late Kim Sae-ron since they were minors, effectively exonerated the actor. Attention has turned to whether Disney+’s previously postponed series Knock Off will be moved up on the release calendar.
On the 26th, Judge Bu Dong-sik of the Seoul Central District Court, who oversees warrant reviews, held a pre-arrest suspect hearing for Kim Se-ui. Kim faces charges including violations of the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation by spreading false information), the Stalking Punishment Act, the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (distribution of recordings made with cameras and coercion related to such recordings), and making threats. The judge issued an arrest warrant, citing concerns that Kim might destroy evidence or flee.
Investigators found signs that Kim Se-ui used AI to fabricate the late Kim Sae-ron’s voice and edited portions of KakaoTalk chat screenshots he had received from the bereaved family—actions that severely harmed Kim Soo-hyun’s reputation.
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Goldmedalist, said in an official statement on the 27th that the allegations and evidence presented by the GaroSero Research Institute were false. The agency said the KakaoTalk conversations shown at the press conference were fabricated edits of messages unrelated to Kim Soo-hyun and that the late woman’s voice was manipulated using AI technology.
The statement noted that, at his press conference a year ago, Kim vowed, “I won’t ask you to believe me. I will make sure to prove it.” He spent the last year trying to keep that promise, and through proper legal procedures and a thorough investigation, the truth has now been established.
The investigation removed the legal cloud around Kim Soo-hyun, and public sentiment has shifted from skepticism to support. Interest across the entertainment industry is high as the actor prepares to return after being forced to pause activities for about a year and two months following the allegations.
That focus has naturally turned to Disney+’s Knock Off. The high-profile series had a reported production budget of 60 billion KRW (approximately $45 million) and filmed seasons 1 and 2 back-to-back with a planned 2025 release. Filming was halted in March of last year, and the release was postponed indefinitely amid the controversy.
On the 27th, Disney+ told MyDaily that the release schedule remains tentatively on hold and that there has been no change to its position. Still, with the investigation clearing the allegations and given the sizable investment—60 billion KRW (approximately $45 million)—the expectation is that the platform will make a final decision soon based on public sentiment. All eyes are on whether Kim, now in a position to return, will make a high-profile comeback through Knock Off.
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