Kim Sei-ui, who threatened Kim Soo-hyun, will be tried on charges of intimidation

"Incomparable to N-th Room" Shocking Indictment Unveils Extortion and Stalking Campaign Against Actor Kim Soo-hyun

The South Korean judiciary has finally clamped down on the unchecked alternative media power that assassinates public figures' characters under the guise of "justice" and "whistleblowing." Kim Se-ui, the representative of the controversial YouTube channel 'Garosero Research Institute' (Gaseyeon), has been formally arrested and indicted for defaming, blackmailing, and stalking A-list actor Kim Soo-hyun. The detailed prosecution indictment has been made public, revealing a malicious psychological terror campaign that has deeply shocked the nation.

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1. Character Assassination at Its Worst: Weaponizing the Infamous "N-th Room"

According to the formal indictment obtained by the office of Representative Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Kim Se-ui deliberately targeted actor Kim Soo-hyun to inflict maximum career and psychological damage. In March of last year, during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel, Kim Se-ui made a series of highly sensational and unverified claims to capture public attention and manipulate public opinion.

The indictment details Kim’s exact words during the broadcast: "This isn't just a matter of him getting kicked out of a drama. It cannot even be compared to the N-th Room case. There is a massive, mind-blowing story behind this." By explicitly comparing a clean-cut actor's private life to the "N-th Room"—one of South Korea's most notorious digital sex crime syndicates—Kim maliciously intended to trick the public into believing that Kim Soo-hyun was involved in a severe felony, according to the prosecution.

Furthermore, Kim used the commercial vulnerability of large-scale television productions as leverage for blackmail. He stated during the stream, "The drama production company should know that they can just sue Kim Soo-hyun for 120 billion or 180 billion KRW in damages." This statement was interpreted by prosecutors as a direct threat that he would release highly damaging information right when the actor's major drama project was scheduled to premiere, effectively threatening to ruin the livelihoods of hundreds of production staff members just to corner one individual.

2. Desecrating the Dead: Spreading Fabricated Rumors Involving the Late Kim Sae-ron

A thorough investigation by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office concluded that every single claim made by Kim Se-ui was entirely fabricated and baseless. Public outrage has reached a boiling point, particularly because Kim Se-ui exploited the tragic passing of the late actress Kim Sae-ron—who can no longer defend herself—purely for YouTube clickbait and financial gain.

Kim Se-ui manufactured a false narrative alleging that Kim Soo-hyun had dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. He went so far as to claim that the direct cause of her tragic death was relentless pressure from Kim Soo-hyun’s side to repay a debt. This fabricated rumor caused immense secondary trauma to the grieving family and the actor. Far from a one-time rumor, Kim Se-ui weaponized this narrative by broadcasting it a total of 25 times across various live streams and edited videos, leading to a heavy charge of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (Defamation).

Criminal Charges	Specific Misconduct & Methods Outlined in Indictment	Frequency / Scale of Offense
Information Network Act (Defamation)	• Fabricating a romantic relationship between Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron during her minority. • Falsely claiming that her death was caused by financial pressure exerted by Kim Soo-hyun’s representatives.	Spun and broadcasted 25 times on YouTube
Attempted Coercion & Blackmail	• Displaying a sensitive photo of Kim Soo-hyun's lower body on stream without consent. • Threatening to sequentially expose even more private photos unless the actor made a public apology.	Psychological extortion targeting the victim (Charged as attempt)
Stalking Punishment Act	• Persistently broadcasting fabricated private life exposes against the victim's explicit will, inducing extreme anxiety and fear.	Concentrated 23 times over a two-month period
Violation of Provisional Orders	• Openly defying and mocking the court's official emergency restraining order.	Continued streaming despite explicit legal bans

3. Extortion via Private Photos and Total Defiance of Court Orders

The prosecution's indictment paints a grim picture of a media-driven extrajudicial punishment system. During one of his broadcasts, Kim Se-ui pulled up a private photo showing Kim Soo-hyun’s lower body. He then issued an ultimatum: "If you do not come out and make a formal public apology to the nation right now, I will sequentially release much more shocking private photos and documents that I have in my possession." The prosecution formally classified this act as an egregious case of attempted coercion and blackmail.

Legal analysts are closely watching this case because prosecutors applied the Stalking Punishment Act. Broadcasting 23 highly invasive, fabricated exposés within a mere two-month window (March to April of last year) constitutes a cyber-stalking campaign. This persistent harassment inflicted severe mental trauma, anxiety, and a sense of dread on the victim, effectively paralyzing his daily life.

Kim Se-ui's complete disregard for the legal system is also heavily highlighted. Recognizing the escalating danger to the victim, a court issued a provisional protective order in April of last year, banning Kim Se-ui from coming within 100 meters of the actor and prohibiting him from using telecommunication networks to approach or speak about the victim. Showing utter contempt for judicial authority, Kim Se-ui mocked the injunction and continued his defamation campaign on YouTube, leading to an additional charge of violating court-ordered provisional measures.

The Hour of Retribution: Detention and Trial Schedule The Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office officially indicted Kim Se-ui under detention on June 23, citing the extreme severity of the crimes and the high risk of destroying evidence through his massive digital reach. The first formal trial, which will decide the fate of this controversial internet personality, is scheduled to take place on August 14 at the Seoul Central District Court.

4. The Boomerang Effect: 'God of Trading' Eun Hyun-jang Freezes Kim's Prison Funds

Currently held in a solitary cell at a detention center, Kim Se-ui has been hit with an unexpected financial blow from within prison walls. Eun Hyun-jang, the prominent operator of the popular YouTube channel 'God of Trading' who has been locked in a separate, fierce legal battle with Kim, successfully obtained a court order to provisionally attach 100 million KRW ($73,000 USD) of Kim Se-ui's prison funds (Yeongchi-geum).

Eun Hyun-jang revealed the legal victory during a recent YouTube broadcast, stating, "I meticulously timed the application to freeze his prison funds to land exactly on Kim Se-ui's birthday, and the court officially approved the 100 million KRW attachment order." Eun also shared a portion of the official court document on screen. With his personal prison account completely frozen—funds typically used by inmates to buy basic daily necessities, medical supplies, and food inside the facility—Kim Se-ui finds himself completely isolated both legally and financially.

The downfall of a digital executioner, who once terrorized celebrities by leveraging public curiosity and unchecked media power, offers a grim warning. Backed by the prosecution's strict indictment and aggressive legal maneuvers from his adversaries, this upcoming trial is expected to serve as a landmark precedent regarding the heavy legal prices cyber wreckers must pay for destroying lives for digital clout.

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[🔍 Core Indictment Summary & Key Legal Points]

• Indictment Under Detention: Gaseyeon representative Kim Se-ui was formally arrested and indicted on June 23 for severe defamation, attempted coercion, and stalking targeting actor Kim Soo-hyun.
• Malicious Sex Crime Framing: Falsely equated the actor's private life to the infamous "N-th Room" scandal and incited a massive 180 billion KRW breach-of-contract lawsuit from production firms.
• Exploitation of a Tragedy: Fabricated and broadcasted a malicious rumor 25 times, claiming the actor dated the late Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor and drove her to a tragic end due to financial pressure.
• Cyber-Stalking & Contempt: Broadcasted 23 harassment streams in two months. He openly defied a court-issued 100-meter restraining order and digital ban to keep streaming.
• Financial Lockdown in Jail: Rival YouTuber Eun Hyun-jang ('God of Trading') successfully froze 100 million KRW of Kim Se-ui’s internal prison fund via a court order. The first trial begins on August 14.