[1004] #KimSoohyun Reviews 40+ Scripts, Narrows Next Project Choices to 3–4 Across Brutal Thriller, Fantasy Action, Traditional Melodrama & Human-Centered Period Drama
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As the lift rose from beneath the stage, the cheers of around 20,000 people filling the audience shook the ceiling.
The venue for Kim Soohyun’s fan meeting OUR FOREVER WITH YOU, held on October 2 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, was a huge wave of emotion.
After passing through a long 18-month tunnel and standing before his fans again, Kim Soohyun greeted them in the local language with a bright smile, and the audience responded all at once with the lights of their light sticks.
Hosted by Korean-born broadcaster Sam Oh, the stage that day was a healing story completed by an actor who had overcome hardship and the fans who believed in him until the very end. Kim Soohyun warmly hugged the fans who came up on stage and connected with them, while also showing off his unchanged singing ability by passionately performing live, including OSTs from Dream High.
In particular, as he called his fans “beings filled with warmth, passion, and light” and expressed his gratitude to them, he became choked up several times and could not continue speaking. Even after the event ended, he came back out to see the departing fans off, becoming teary-eyed.
Local netizens showered the night with praise, calling it “an unforgettable warm comeback.” It was a moment that proved his global fandom and ticket power, which have continued from My Love from the Star to Queen of Tears, remained solid without even a 1% crack despite his hiatus.
The reason the tears in Manila carried even more weight was because the allegations he endured over the past year and a half were exceptionally malicious. In March last year, allegations that top actor Kim Soohyun had dated a minor and pressured the late Kim Saeron over debt, raised by Kim Seui, head of the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute, and the bereaved family of the late Kim Saeron, brought the clock to a stop for an actor at the height of his career. Kim Soohyun’s side clearly stated that the relationship took place after she became an adult and responded by filing a civil lawsuit seeking damages in the 12 billion won range as well as criminal complaints, patiently waiting while saying that they would prove the truth through legal proceedings.
The investigative authorities’ scientific verification produced complete results. The audio file of the deceased that the accusers presented as evidence was found to be fabricated using generative AI, while the messenger conversations were also found to have been falsified and altered from someone else’s conversations.
In the end, Kim Seui was indicted and detained on serious charges including defamation, violations of the Stalking and Sexual Violence Punishment Act, and attempted coercion, with the trial scheduled to resume on October 15. The police also concluded the criminal risk related to the bereaved family’s complaints of violating the Child Welfare Act and making a false accusation after deciding in July, following a year-long investigation, not to forward the case due to lack of evidence of wrongdoing. It is a chilling example of how deepfakes and AI-generated fake news can drive an artist’s reputation to ruin, as well as a landmark case in crisis management where his reputation was restored through thorough legal verification.
i saw soohyun shopping at bench bgc! the universe was definitely on my side today 🥹
he was so nice, even though he was busy shopping. he still acknowledged us and waved at us multiple times 🥹 though he will NEVER beat the bad-at-directions allegations 🤣
[1003] Jury Trial Denied, Kim Seui’s Defamation Trial Over False Claims About #KimSoohyun to Resume October 15
The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 26 will hold the second preparatory hearing for Kim Seui’s charges, including violation of the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation), on October 15.
Previously, the court held the first preparatory hearing for Kim Seui in September. The case was initially assigned to Criminal Division 14, a single-judge panel, but was reassigned to Criminal Division 26, a three-judge panel, following a decision to transfer the case to a collegiate panel. This procedure changes a case originally handled by a single judge to one handled by a panel of three judges, taking the nature of the case into consideration.
At the time, Kim Seui’s lawyer maintained his request for a jury trial, saying, “There has been no change in our desire to have a jury trial.” However, after the preparatory hearing, the court decided not to accept the request.
Kim Soohyun’s lawyer asked the court to consider the following: “Regarding the reason the defendant (Kim Seui) wants a jury trial, if you look at what Kim Seui said through his broadcasts, he has stated that ‘we need to have a jury trial because we have to fight against the enormous left-wing power.’ Even while the defendant is in custody, he continues to make these claims. We hope you will consider whether this truly aligns with the purpose of a jury trial.”
The lawyer continued, “The reason the substantive truth of this case was not discovered initially and the public did not listen carefully to the victim (Kim Soohyun)’s rebuttals was due to the social atmosphere in which people could not criticize the deceased or the bereaved family. We are concerned that the defendant’s side may be trying to bring the distorted atmosphere from the early stages of the case into the trial once again, or may be trying to use it for political purposes.”
The two sides also clashed over the charges. Kim Seui’s side argued, “Regarding the defamation charges, the facts presented are not false. The deceased (the late Kim Saeron) was in a relationship with the victim from when she was a minor. There are also notes written by the victim before his military enlistment, KakaoTalk messages, and photos and videos taken at the victim’s home. The National Forensic Service only responded that it was difficult to make a determination regarding deep voice based solely on the materials provided.”
Kim Seui’s side also claimed that the bereaved family had confirmed the authenticity of the materials Kim Seui presented on his YouTube broadcasts, saying, “The deceased’s mother said that she was certain the voice in the recording belonged to the deceased.”
Regarding the release of a photo showing part of Kim Soohyun’s body on a YouTube broadcast, Kim Seui’s side also argued, “It does not constitute a recording that could cause sexual humiliation. It was an ordinary photo taken by the deceased at her residence. It was not a photo specifically taken of a particular part of the body.”
Police and prosecutors who investigated the case stated in the indictment that Kim Seui had transmitted false information a total of 25 times with the purpose of defaming Kim Soohyun. The charges also include allegedly releasing photos showing Kim Soohyun’s body and mentioning the possibility of releasing additional photos, while pressuring Kim Soohyun’s side to acknowledge his relationship with the deceased and make a public apology.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Criminal Proceeds Recovery Division completed the registration of a provisional seizure for land owned by Kim Seui.