Rome: South Korean police have concluded that allegations actor Kim Soo-hyun dated late actress Kim Sae-ron while she was a minor were false and partially based on AI-generated material, according to a local media report citing a police arrest warrant request. Police alleged manipulated KakaoTalk screenshots and AI-generated audio files were used by YouTuber Kim Se-eui to spread false claims for financial gain through his Hoverlab channel, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, "The suspect distributed false information with the intent to defame Kim Soo-hyun, despite being fully aware that he had never been in a relationship with the deceased from when she was a minor," police wrote in the arrest warrant request. Investigators said names in chat logs had been altered to identify Kim Soo-hyun as the conversation partner despite no confirmed evidence linking him to the conversations.

Police said the allegations severely damaged the actor's reputation, social standing, and professional career, adding that he is currently receiving psychiatric treatment. Prosecutors have requested an arrest warrant for Kim Se-eui on charges related to the illegal distribution of manipulated material. A court hearing is scheduled for next week in Seoul.

Separately, a Chinese court last October admonished a lawyer for using fabricated AI-generated case citations in a legal proceeding. The court later dismissed the fake references and issued a formal warning in its written judgment. In another case earlier this year, a judge in eastern China discovered an AI-written lawsuit containing fabricated white papers and incorrect case numbers.