During the regular Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency press briefing on November 3 KST, updates were shared regarding the investigation involving actor Kim Soo Hyun and Garo Sero Institute (Gaseyeon) member Kim Se Ui. Following this, Kim Soo Hyun’s legal representative issued an official statement addressing the matter.
Attorney Ko Sang Rok, representing Kim Soo Hyun, stated on his YouTube channel “Jingyeok-ui Gobeon” (“Korean Legal Titan”), “While the police may say that ‘the investigation has progressed considerably,’ I personally have concerns about whether that investigation has been conducted properly, based on the essence and key points of the case.” He continued, “We want the investigation to be concluded quickly and the case resolved promptly. Therefore, even though it has been seven and a half months since the initial complaint was filed on March 20, we currently have no plans to request a change of the investigation team.”
Explaining why he began publicly defending the case through YouTube and social media since September 30, after months of silence, Ko said, “As the victim’s side, we had no choice but to start publicly presenting parts of the actor’s private records to correct distorted perceptions, because the legal process for remedying this situation was taking excessively long.” He criticized the police for the delayed investigation.
He added, “As the public and media gradually began to understand the true context, it is frustrating and disheartening to see the police only now showing signs of action.”
Attorney Ko also stated, “Kim Se Ui of Gaseyeon — who has long spread false information and fabricated evidence, damaging numerous people’s reputations — is now openly cursing at the police officers investigating him, even provoking them by saying ‘go ahead and arrest me.’ With dozens of criminal complaints filed against him dragging on without resolution, public doubts about the fairness of the judicial process are growing. We earnestly urge that these doubts be dispelled through a fair and thorough investigation.”
The day before, Seoul Metropolitan Police Commissioner Park Jung Bo admitted at the briefing that “investigations into Kim Se Ui’s related cases were distributed across several departments, which slowed progress. We have now consolidated the cases under a dedicated investigation team to ensure tighter management and faster results.”
Regarding the case involving actor Kim Soo Hyun, Commissioner Park said, “The investigation is already well underway. The seized materials have been sent to the National Forensic Service (NFS) for analysis, and we are currently awaiting results. As the investigation is already in its later stages, the existing team will continue handling the case without personnel changes.”
After the statement was made public, netizens expressed confusion and frustration, commenting, “How can they say the investigation has progressed when the materials were only sent to NFS in September?” “They still haven’t secured the original KakaoTalk data — what exactly has been investigated?” and “What have they been doing for the past eight months?”
Meanwhile, during a recent National Assembly hearing by the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, lawmakers raised suspicions of investigative delays and possible political interference in cases involving Kim Se Ui, further intensifying the controversy over the police’s slow response.
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