Kim Soohyun's Agency: "Late Kim Saeron's Audio Was AI-Forged... Will Immediately Sue 'Gaseyeon'"

Actor Kim Soohyun is making an entrance announcement at Stanford Hotel in Mapo-gu, Seoul on March 31. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Gold Medalist, the agency representing actor Kim Soohyun, has refuted the audio file released by the YouTube channel "Garo Sero Research Institute" (hereafter Gaseyeon), stating that it is "a forgery manipulated by AI (artificial intelligence)." The agency announced its intention to file criminal complaints against Gaseyeon for defamation and stalking, among other charges.

On May 7, Gold Medalist's legal representative, law firm LKB & Partners, issued an official statement asserting, "The audio file of the late actor Kim Saeron, which Gaseyeon released at a press conference today, is entirely fabricated." The firm added, "We have determined that the file was created using technologies such as AI."

According to Gold Medalist, the informant who provided the audio file to Gaseyeon had previously approached the agency and demanded money, claiming that "Kim Saeron made statements favorable to Kim Soohyun." The agency explained, "We determined that the file sent by the informant was a manipulated recording of the late Kim Saeron's voice and therefore did not comply with any demands."

The agency further stated, "The person who delivered the audio file has no connection to Kim Saeron and colluded with Gaseyeon to release a forged file." They added, "We are currently conducting a technical verification and will disclose the results as soon as they are available."

Regarding the "attack photos" released by Gaseyeon during the press conference, the agency countered, "These are images that can be easily found through an internet search," and emphasized, "The claim that our company or attorney Ko Sangrok orchestrated the attack based on these images is false."

Gold Medalist stated, "This press conference was a manipulative act by Gaseyeon to expose actor Kim Soohyun to cyberattacks through false information." The agency announced its plan to file immediate criminal complaints and reports for violations of the Stalking Punishment Act and the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation). The agency also stressed, "We will work closely with investigative authorities to ensure strict legal accountability for this new pattern of criminal activity."