Actor Kim Soo-hyun gives more than four hours of closed-door testimony in Kim Se-eui trial; courtroom confrontation does not take place

Closed-door hearing held behind screens; courtroom clash erupts after judge orders defendant to leave

Actor 'Kim Soo-hyun' gave lengthy closed-door testimony after appearing as a witness in the criminal trial of 'Kim Se-eui', head of the Garosero Research Institute (hereafter, Gaseyeon), who was indicted on charges of spreading false information about him. A face-to-face encounter in court was prevented by the judge’s decision to question them separately.

The Seoul Central District Court’s 26th Criminal Division, presided over by Judge Lee Hyun-kyung, held the first hearing on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the case against Kim Se-eui, who faces charges including 'violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection' (defamation) and violations of the Sexual Violence Punishment Act. Before the hearing began, Kim Soo-hyun entered through a private passage at around 1:40 p.m., out of view of reporters.

The court closed the hearing about 30 minutes after it began, citing the inclusion of charges under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act and the need to protect the victim’s right to testify. It then conducted 'closed-door witness questioning' for about four and a half hours, until 7:10 p.m. The entire proceeding concluded at around 7:30 p.m.

In particular, to protect the victim, the court ordered 'separate questioning' to prevent direct contact between the defendant and the witness. Kim Se-eui strongly objected, saying, "The right to question the witness directly must be guaranteed." The court rejected his argument, saying, "Conduct cross-examination through your attorney," and ordered him to leave the courtroom.

In public statements made just before the hearing was closed, Kim Se-eui’s side denied all the allegations. His attorney argued, "The material that was circulated is not false, and it was part of legitimate activity based on information obtained by reporting on key people involved, including the bereaved family." Kim Se-eui also addressed the court, appealing for the right to mount a defense and urging it to grant his previously filed 'bail application'.

Kim Se-eui was indicted and detained last June on charges of posting on his YouTube channel false claims that the late Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun dated when she was a minor, and that pressure over debt was the cause of her tragic decision. The indictment also alleges that he distributed audio files manipulated with artificial intelligence (AI), leaked private photos without permission and threatened to expose more information.

Kim Soo-hyun’s side is continuing its forceful legal response to the videos containing false and defamatory claims, including filing complaints with the Korea Communications Standards Commission and seeking a court injunction to ban their publication. The court is scheduled to resume the trial on the 13th to examine evidence and continue the remaining proceedings.