What happened?

According to an exclusive report by Dispatch, police concluded that a 2016 KakaoTalk exchange widely attributed to actor Kim Soo-hyun was in fact a conversation between Kim Sae-ron and a different entertainer, identified as 'Celebrity A.' Kim Soo-hyun reportedly asked for an investigation into the claims, and the results were reported about a year later.

Who is Kim Sae-ron?

Kim Sae-ron is a former child actress whose death brought renewed attention to online claims about her private life. The disputed messages were first circulated by the YouTube channel Gaseyeon, and Dispatch reports that police examined several iPhones she used, including the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone SE and iPhone 13 mini.

What did the device analysis find?

Dispatch says police recovered messages and images from the devices. According to the reported findings, Kim Sae-ron called Kim Soo-hyun only three times while using the iPhone 7 between 2017 and 2018, and no evidence of a relationship was found on the iPhone 8. The report also says she maintained close relationships with at least four other men in that period, and Kim Soo-hyun was not among them.

How was the message disputed?

Dispatch says the analysis of wording and naming also pointed away from Kim Soo-hyun. The report says Kim Sae-ron addressed the counterpart by name, while the sender's style did not match Kim Soo-hyun's typical wording. The report further alleges that a contact saved as 'unknown' in the screenshots was changed to 'Kim Soo-hyun' by staff at Gaseyeon, at the direction of Kim Se-eui.

For international fans

The reports above come from Dispatch's account of police findings and have not been independently verified by Hallyu Brief. Gaseyeon and Kim Se-eui have been subject to earlier legal disputes over similar claims, and fans seeking background may find it useful to follow coverage from several Korean outlets.