South Korean authorities have arrested a prominent YouTuber accused of using artificial intelligence and edited digital materials to spread false claims about actor Kim Soo-hyun, in a case that has intensified scrutiny of online misinformation and celebrity harassment.
Kim Se-ui, who operates the controversial YouTube channel Hover Lab, was detained after the Seoul Central District Court approved an arrest warrant on Tuesday. Police and prosecutors argued that custody was necessary because of concerns that he could flee or destroy evidence while the investigation continued.
The case centres on claims made through Hover Lab that Kim Soo-hyun had been romantically involved with the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was still a minor. The actor has denied the allegation, although he previously said he had dated Kim Sae-ron for about a year after she became an adult.
Investigators allege that some of the material used to support the claims was fabricated. Police believe an audio recording presented as Kim Sae-ron’s voice was generated using AI. They also suspect that screenshots of messages from the actress’s phone were altered to make it appear that she had been communicating with Kim Soo-hyun.
Kim Soo-hyun’s agency welcomed the development on Wednesday, saying that the “truth has been proven.”
“The investigation confirmed that all suspicions and evidence raised by Hover Lab against Kim Soo-hyun were unfounded,” the agency said, thanking those who supported the actor during the controversy.
Kim Se-ui denied wrongdoing before the court ruled on the warrant. Speaking to reporters, he said the warrant “did not even properly organise the basic facts” and vowed to file complaints against the police and prosecutors involved.
The controversy emerged after Kim Sae-ron died by suicide at the age of 24 and quickly became one of South Korea’s most closely watched entertainment scandals. Kim Soo-hyun, one of the country’s best-known television stars, has since stepped back from public appearances, while the allegations affected his advertising work and public image.
A police filing reported by JoongAng Ilbo said the claims “collapsed Kim Soo-hyun’s social base and his economic activities across the board, and destroyed the basis for his professional survival.” Police also said he is “still receiving psychiatric treatment.”
At a press conference in March 2025, Kim Soo-hyun denied the underage dating accusation.
“I can’t admit to something I didn’t do,” he said. His agency said the past year had been devoted to proving his position.