Actor Kim Soo-hyun speaks at a press conference addressing controversy surrounding his private life at Stanford Hotel in Mapo District, Seoul, March 31, 2025. Korea Times file
Of the several false allegations made against actor Kim Soo-hyun, the most damaging came with the release of an audio recording purportedly featuring the voice of the late actor Kim Sae-ron, whose relationship with Kim Soo-hyun had become the focus of the controversy.
“We began dating when I was in middle school and broke up after I entered college. The first time we had sex was during winter break in my second year of middle school. Looking back now, I realize I was taken advantage of.”
The recording later turned out to have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI). It was among the false materials cited in the case against YouTuber Kim Se-eui, who was taken into custody on charges of spreading false information about Kim Soo-hyun.
In retrospect, things might have unfolded differently had the accusation been presented in another form. Had it been made in a written statement or delivered in person by Kim Se-eui, himself already a controversial figure, the public would likely have reacted with caution and demanded verification.
But it came in the form of an audio recording purportedly featuring the late actor’s voice, and the public immediately pounced. Suddenly, the difficult-to-believe accusation appeared to be backed by credible evidence.
The case demonstrated how false information generated using AI can be far more dangerous than the forms of misinformation that have rocked society in the past.
AI can sway opinion faster than police can verify
The false allegations against Kim Soo-hyun did not remain confined to sordid rumors circulating on YouTube. With the release of the AI-fabricated audio recording, Kim Se-eui’s accusation suddenly appeared to be an evidence-backed revelation, something mainstream reporters could justify covering and, to put it bluntly, something easy to write and quote.
An estimate by a civic group showed that 2,026 news articles were published over the eight days between March 10, 2025, when Kim Se-eui first made the accusation against Kim Soo-hyun, and March 17, 2025. In an attempt to contain the fallout, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference of his own and denied the claims made in the recording. But few were convinced, largely because the voice sounded so real.
Source: Korea Times News
