Kim Se-ui, Garosero Research Institute chief, seeks bail in Kim Soo-hyun defamation case... Prosecutors warn he may portray bail as proof of innocence

[Financial News] Kim Se-ui, head of the Garosero Research Institute, who was indicted and detained on charges including defaming actor Kim Soo-hyun, asked the court to grant him bail. Kim claims to have a mental illness and pose no flight risk, but prosecutors opposed bail, saying it could be misconstrued as an acquittal.
The 26th Criminal Division of Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Hyeon-gyeong, held the second preparatory hearing in Kim’s first trial on the 15th and heard arguments on bail. Kim was indicted and detained on charges including violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes and defamation.
Kim is accused of spreading false claims through YouTube broadcasts and press conferences from March to May 2025, including that the late Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since she was a minor and that pressure from Kim Soo-hyun’s side to repay debts caused her death. He also faces charges of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, violating the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes and the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes, attempted coercion and threats, as well as manipulating and distributing the deceased’s voice using generative AI.
The court issued an arrest warrant citing concerns about the destruction of evidence and flight, and rejected Kim’s request for a review of the legality of his detention. Kim has remained in custody since May, for just over four months.
Kim’s lawyer said, “Because Kim has mental health conditions such as panic disorder, there is concern that living in solitary confinement could harm his mental health,” and added, “The funds in his prison account have been seized, so he cannot even buy medication.” Kim also stressed, “I have no risk of fleeing because I must protect my apartment, my precious asset.”
Prosecutors, however, opposed granting bail. They said that if Kim is released, “there is a high likelihood that he will spread distorted claims, saying that being granted bail means he is innocent.”
They specifically emphasized that Kim has continued broadcasting by sending letters from the detention center and has also circulated court documents for purposes other than those for which they were intended.
Prosecutors added that Kim’s side was misleading people into thinking there were no grounds for detention, saying, “The evidence is already sufficient. We merely withdrew duplicative evidence to ensure a speedy trial, and that has nothing to do with the grounds for detention.”
Kim is also standing trial on charges of defaming the son of Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party’s Institute for Innovative Policy Research, and stalking and threatening YouTuber Tzuyang (real name Park Jung-won).
[email protected] Lee Chang-hoon Reporter