Actor Kim Soo Hyun’s assertion that parts of his KakaoTalk conversations with the late Kim Sae Ron were manipulated is facing skepticism, as questions arise over the credibility of the firm behind his evidence.

On March 31st KST, Kim held a press conference in Seoul, strongly denying allegations that he dated Kim Sae Ron while she was a minor. The late actress’s family previously claimed the two began dating in 2015, when Kim Sae Ron was 15 and Kim Soo Hyun was 27, citing messages and handwritten notes as proof. In contrast, Kim insisted their romantic relationship only began in 2019, when she had already become an adult.

To support his claim, Kim submitted a forensic linguistic analysis of KakaoTalk messages exchanged in 2016, 2018, and 2025, conducted by the private forensic speech analysis center Trubaum. Kim claimed the report concluded that “the person messaging Kim Sae Ron in 2016 and 2018 was not me.” He added, “The bereaved family is framing me as a pedophile involved in grooming, which is false. I underwent proper verification procedures and call on them to do the same through official legal channels.”

However, the public’s reaction has been lukewarm. The institute behind the analysis, Trubaum, is a private firm, not a national forensic body such as the National Forensic Service. While Trubaum’s CEO Kim Mi Young holds a PhD in criminal psychology and has advised public prosecution agencies, her past high-profile misjudgments, such as misidentifying 'Nth room' operator Jo Joo Bin’s profile on SBS’s ‘Unanswered Questions’, have raised doubts.

The report submitted by Trubaum stated there was a 92% probability that the messages in 2016 and 2018 were not written by Kim, but also included an 8% margin of error—a point that critics quickly picked up on.

Adding to the controversy, Kim Soo Hyun’s legal team has filed a 120 billion won damage lawsuit against both the YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute (Gaseyeon) and Kim Sae Ron’s family, intensifying the public debate.

While Kim emphasized that his evidence was scientifically backed, the fact that Trubaum is a private entity, combined with a non-absolute result, has left many unconvinced. As scrutiny over the messages and the timeline of events grows, so too does pressure for an official investigation by public authorities.

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