Kim Sae Ron's audio recording was FABRICATED

The explosive claims made against actor

Kim Soo Hyun

in a voice clip of late actress

Kim Sae Ron

have now been discredited after the key whistleblower admitted to manipulating the file central to the allegations.The

Garo Sero Research Institute

(operating under the name HOVERLAB) reignited controversy on May 7, when they released a bombshell audio file, claiming it was a recording of a conversation between Kim Sae Ron and a person identified only as Mr A.

The recording was used to allege that Kim Sae Ron had a past sexual relationship with Kim Soo Hyun when she was a teenager and still in high school.However, when the credibility of the clip was questioned, evidence quickly unravelled prompting Mr A to confess to fabricating the audio file, which is now believed to have been generated using AI voice technology. Journalist and YouTuber Lee Jin Ho conducted a forensic analysis and presented evidence showing that the voice in the recording was artificially created, with Mr. A inserting his own voice and background noise to simulate a real conversation.

“The audio appears to be a product of AI voice synthesis,” Lee stated. “It was deliberately constructed to mislead and extort.”Further inconsistencies came to light during the same press conference. Garo Sero had claimed that Mr A was the target of a violent knife attack after meeting with Kim Sae Ron, stating he had been stabbed nine times in the neck and required 20 stitches. Mr A later contradicted this, saying the injuries were limited to his arms and shoulder. Moreover, the photos of his alleged injuries were later found to have been sourced from a stock image website.The scandal, which briefly captured public attention due to its serious allegations of an underage romance. Kim Soo Hyun’s agency has reportedly dismissed the audio as absurd and unworthy of response.As of now, no legal action has been announced, but Kim Soo Hyun has filed a lawsuit against the family of the late actress Kim Sae Ron as well as the operators of YouTube channel Hoverlab. In the complaint, Kim’s team is seeking 12 billion won in damages.