A storm of controversy is swirling around an audio clip that allegedly features the late actress Kim Sae-ron speaking about a past romantic relationship with actor Kim Soo-hyun. The audio, which has gone viral, is now under suspicion of being an AI-generated fake. YouTuber Lee Jin-ho brought the issue to light in a recent video, claiming the voice in the clip might have been synthesized using advanced artificial intelligence software.
Lee Jin-ho cited a forensic audio analysis to support the claim that the recording was manipulated. The analysis suggested that while the voice sounded convincingly human, its consistency and clarity — even after noise filtering — pointed to synthetic generation. Lee emphasized that even free AI tools today can produce audio so lifelike that it can deceive most listeners.
In a demonstration, Lee compared the filtered audio of the alleged Kim Sae-ron clip with that of a whistleblower. While the whistleblower’s voice degraded significantly under noise reduction, the supposed voice of Kim Sae-ron remained unusually clear. According to Lee, this discrepancy is a major indicator of AI manipulation, since real voices tend to lose quality when tampered with.
He also drew parallels to a previous case involving business figure Eun Hyun-jang, whose AI-cloned voice had similarly fooled many. Lee used this precedent to further validate his argument that AI-generated speech can easily pass as real, even under close inspection.
The controversy intensified after a May 7 press conference held by the Garosero Research Institute and Kim Sae-ron’s family lawyer, where the same recording was publicly played. The clip included disturbing allegations that Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun had a sexual relationship starting in eighth grade. The whistleblower, allegedly based in New Jersey, claimed to have been assaulted under the orders of attorney Ko Sang-rok—who is now under police investigation.
In response to these explosive claims and the suspicion of deepfake technology, Kim Soo-hyun’s legal team has taken swift action. They filed an additional lawsuit on May 9 against both the informant and Kim Sae-ron’s family, citing defamation and manipulation. As the scandal continues to unfold, it raises urgent questions about the growing misuse of AI and the ethical responsibilities of those handling sensitive digital content.