Kim Soo-hyun's Side: "Late Kim Sae-ron's Mother, Bu Ji-seok, Kwon Young-chan, and Others Referred to the Public Prosecution Office"
Charges include defamation and attempted coercion
Only the deceased's father was not referred to prosecutors.
The mother and aunt of the late Kim Sae-ron have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office as victims in cases involving complaints and accusations filed by Kim Soo-hyun's side.
On October 26, Kim Soo-hyun's agency Gold Medalist said in an official statement, "Following the indictment and detention of Kim Se-eui, head of the YouTube channel Garosero Research Institute, accomplices who took part in spreading false information have also been referred without detention to the Seoul Central District Public Prosecution Office after their alleged crimes were recognized."
The agency said, "Those referred include people who impersonated the deceased's mother and aunt." It added that they face charges including defamation by stating false information, in violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc.; distribution of filmed material taken using cameras or other devices, in violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes; and attempted coercion.
It continued, "Attorney Bu Ji-seok, who represented the bereaved family and led two press conferences using fabricated materials, and YouTuber Kwon Young-chan have also been referred following a police-initiated investigation." The agency explained that Bu faces charges of criminal defamation and defamation by stating false information, in violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., while Kwon faces a charge of distributing filmed material taken using cameras or other devices, in violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes.
It added, "The deceased's father was not referred to the prosecution."
In May last year, Kim Soo-hyun was accused by the deceased's family of violating the Child Welfare Act and making a false accusation, among other allegations, over claims that he had been in a relationship with her since she was a minor. At a press conference at the time, the family released a recording of a conversation between the deceased and an acquaintance. The recording contained claims that the deceased had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since she was a minor.
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Kim Soo-hyun claimed that the voice had been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI). After the recording was submitted to the National Forensic Service (NFS), the agency determined that it could not make an assessment. Kim Soo-hyun was not referred to the prosecution due to insufficient evidence. Kim, meanwhile, was detained last month, on September 26, on suspicion of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes by making the false claim that pressure over debts from Kim Soo-hyun's side had caused the deceased's death.
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