The actual person behind the “fake KakaoTalk messages” that forced actor Kim Soo Hyun into self-imposed silence for over a year due to allegations of dating Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor has been revealed to be another celebrity.
According to a Dispatch report on October 13th, police have identified entertainer A as the real sender of the KakaoTalk messages that were previously made public.
The messages were released last year by Kim Se Ui, head of the Garosero Research Institute, along with the bereaved family, claiming them as proof of Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron’s relationship, causing a significant stir.
The police noted that A used proper spelling such as ‘겠’ and ‘었,’ whereas Kim Soo Hyun tended to shorten spellings like ‘겟’ and ‘엇’ in messenger chats. They also observed differences in the initial consonants of frequently used onomatopoeia, concluding that the messages did not originate from Kim Soo Hyun but from A.
In particular, during the restoration and analysis of the original KakaoTalk messages, the police detected instances where the other party directly called A’s name, confirming that the conversation was not with Kim Soo Hyun.
At the time of the controversy last year, Kim Soo Hyun’s side had claimed through a private verification agency that the messages were fabricated, but the explanation was thoroughly ignored and ridiculed.
Meanwhile, Kim Se Ui’s side reportedly aired more than 25 broadcasts on the topic of Kim Soo Hyun’s allegations, earning a total of ₩169 million KRW (about $127,000 USD) through advertisements and sponsorships.
Subsequently, Kim Se Ui was indicted and detained in June on charges including spreading false information and defamation related to Kim Soo Hyun. Having cleared his name, Kim Soo Hyun recently announced his return to activities with an advertising shoot in the Philippines and attended a domestic award ceremony last month as a recipient, where he met fans in person.