Actor Kim Soo-hyun’s agency, Goldmedalist, has pressed additional criminal charges against Kim Se-ui, the operator of the YouTube channel Hoverlab, under the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crime.

Law firm LKB & Partners, representing the agency, said on Wednesday that the streamer's dissemination of fake news and malicious rumors about the actor on his YouTube channel constitutes a violation of Korea’s stalking crime act.


“The operator of Hoverlab has been disseminating letters, messages and photos featuring the actor's face and body indiscriminately through the YouTube channel, which significantly dented the actor's reputation," LKB & Partners said. “Thus, we were left with no choice but to resort to constitutional investigation and punishment."

Since March 10, Hoverlab has cited alleged statements by Kim Sae-ron's family and acquaintances, claiming that Kim Soo-hyun had been in a six-year relationship with the late actor when she was still a minor.

On March 20, Hoverlab aired a photo that purportedly showed Kim Soo-hyun without pants during a livestream. Goldmedalist responded by filing a complaint regarding the illegal distribution of imagery.

Despite the legal action, the channel rebroadcast the same image on March 21 and the agency expressed “deep regret” over what it described as a blatant disregard for the law and law enforcement.

In response to the growing controversy, Kim Soo-hyun held a press conference on Monday, where he denied the allegations of dating the late actor when she was underaged, disclosing an audio file as proof and rejecting the evidence from the deceased's family as fake.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]