Korean actor Kim Soo-Hyun cleared after fake AI dating scandal ruined his career

A year after Korean actor Kim Soo-Hyun was accused of dating actress Kim Sae-ron while she was still a minor, the South Korean police have stated that the allegations made were based on a fake video by a YouTuber. The police are seeking an arrest warrant for the YouTuber who had allegedly manipulated screenshots of text messages with AI to give the impression that the actor had dated the actress while she was still a minor. The scandal had dominated headline world over and completely ruined Kim Soo-Hyun’s career.

Scandal around Kim Soo-Hyun and Kim Sae Ron's dating

The allegations surfaced in 2025, shortly after Kim Sae-ron killed herself at the age of 24. The scandal had left South Korea in deep shock and upended the career of Soo-hyun, who is a household name in South Korea thanks to his TV shows and films. The actor has consistently denied the allegations.

The YouTuber, Kim Se-ui, has since posted a video claiming the authorities' allegations were a "subterfuge meant to disrupt his investigation".

Months after Sae-ron’s death, the YouTuber had posted online a voice recording in which the actress could be heard saying she had been dating Kim Soo-hyun since she was in middle school. Se-ui had also shared screenshots of chats between the former couple alleging that Sae-ron was underage when she started dating Soo-hyun.

The YouTuber Kim Se-ui has nearly a million followers on his channel.

Authorities now say that the voice recording was generated by AI. They also allege that the YouTuber had manipulated screenshots of text messages sent from the actress's phone to make it look like she had been texting Kim Soo-hyun. The authorities have stated that the YouTuber knowingly spread false news for financial gain.

The scandal was huge when it came to light and “collapsed Kim Soo-hyun's social base and his economic activities across the board, and destroyed the basis for his professional survival," according to a police filing reported by news outlet JoongAng Ilbo.

Police also say Kim Soo-hyun is "still receiving psychiatric treatment" in the aftermath of the scandal.

Last year, weeks after the controversy broke, Soo-hyun had made an appearance in front of the press and admitted to having dated Sae-ron, but not when she was a minor. Soo-Hyun was visibly emotional during the press conference. The actor insisted they had never dated while she was underage. "I can't admit to something I didn't do," he said.

The immense scrutiny around South Korean actors

Celebrities are highly regarded in South Korea and are also put under extreme scrutiny. Besides serious allegations of sexual assault, celebrities have been forced to vanish from the public eye for being exposed as teenage bullies or for wearing fake designer clothes.

Kim Sae-ron herself was a victim of online hate by fans after she was fined for a 2022 drink-driving incident. Before that, she had been seen as one of the most promising young actresses in South Korea.

Soon after her death, rumours surfaced online alleging that Kim Soo-hyun dated her when she was just 15 years old. Kim Soo-hyun's agency initially denied the couple had ever dated but her family had accused the actor of dating her as a minor.

That month, Soo-hyun had filed criminal complaints and lawsuits against the YouTuber and the actress' family for making false accusations.

Since then Kim Soo-hyun - who once starred in multiple hit TV shows and advertisements - has not made any official public appearances. Several brands that he had endorsed, withdrew their contracts amid immense public scrutiny.

The release of Knock-Off, a Disney+ series he had been working on when the scandal broke, has been indefinitely postponed due to pressure of fans.