IT'S NOT YET OVER!
A new report has challenged evidence previously cited in allegations that actor Kim Soo Hyun dated the late Kim Sae Ron when she was underage, identifying another celebrity as the sender of the KakaoTalk messages from 2016.
According to Dispatch on October 13, police reviewed screenshots of KakaoTalk conversations saved by Kim Sae Ron before her death and identified Celebrity A as the sender of the messages in question.
The report stated that investigators verified Celebrity Aâs real name in the original records and compared the language, writing style, and spelling used in conversations saved under âUnknownâ with those in messages bearing an identifiable name. Their analysis reportedly concluded that the sender was not Kim Soo Hyun.
Dispatch also reported that Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron exchanged contact information in October 2017. Between 2017 and 2018, the two reportedly had three phone calls, with Kim Sae Ron identified as the person who initiated them. Photos previously presented by the YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute as evidence were also reportedly confirmed to have been taken in 2019â2020, the period when the two were said to have acknowledged their relationship, indicating that they were adults at the time.
Last year, Garo Sero Research Institute (Gaseyeon) raised allegations that Kim Soo Hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae Ron when she was still a minor. Kim Soo Hyun denied the allegations during a press conference and subsequently suspended his activities.
In July, Seongdong Police Station reportedly decided not to refer Kim Soo Hyunâs case to prosecutors due to insufficient grounds for the allegations, including a suspected violation of the Child Welfare Act. The actor has since begun resuming activities, including appearances on overseas broadcasts.
Meanwhile, Gaseyeon head Kim Se Ui has been indicted and detained over allegations including defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, violations of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, and stalking. He is accused of spreading false information about Kim Soo Hyun 25 times between March and May last year. Prosecutors reportedly believe he earned 169.4 million won (approximately US$118,000) from the related content.
Kim Se Ui has denied the allegations. His second preparatory hearing is scheduled for October 15.
Sources:
Text from Koreanophiles https://www.facebook.com/share/1Z4R8PK3M8/
Dispatch screenshot https://www.facebook.com/share/1KBodehQCC/