The legal battle between the best actor Kim Soo-Hyun and the family of the deceased Kim Sae-Sign have intensified, with experts who warn that the family can face serious criminal accusations and financial responsibilities, including damages of 200 billion KRW (about 138 million dollars), even if Kim did nothing illegal.
Civil and criminal legal actions intended
On May 31, Kim Soo-Hyun and his legal team, led by the lawyer Kim Jong-Bok in Lkb & Partners, held a press conference at the Stanford Hotel in Seoul, announcing the last legal action round. According to Kim’s lawyer, they intended both criminal complaints and civil causes against Kim Sae-Se-Se-Se-Se-See and the controversial YouTube channel Garo Sero Research Institute (Garo Sero).
The legal team filed a criminal complaint for defamation pursuant to the law on the network of information and communications and a separate civil case in search of damage from 11 billion KRW (about 7.6 million KRW) was presented to the central district court of Seoul.
This follows a previous case filed on May 10, in which the part of Kim accused the same parts of violation of the law on the punishment of sexual violence, claiming to have distributed sexually humiliating images of the actor. According to the law, the publication of false or invasive sexual images can lead to up to 7 years in prison or 50 million krw (about 35,000 USD) in fines.
“Even if Kim was morally wrong, the family actions were criminals”
Legal experts claim that Kim Soo-Hyun cannot be pursued pursuant to the current law by alleged exit with Kim Sae-Schi when he was a minor. At the time of their report in 2015, the threshold of the legal age for legal rape in Korea was 13 years, which means that the relationship, although morally questionable, was not illegal. The Youth Sexual Protection Act, which criminalize sexual conversations between adults and minors under the age of 16, was issued in 2021 and does not apply retroactively.
However, the same cannot be said for the actions of the family in mourning. The lawyer Lee Eun-Yi, a dispute expert on sexual crime, said, _ “Even if Kim’s actions are in question for the moral debate, release naked or misleading photos is undeniably criminal.” _
Has developed a specific image that has been circulated online, according to modification to imply nudity, “If in reality he wore shorts and the image has been manipulated, it is defamation. If the photo was real, it is an illegal distribution of sexual content. In both cases, it is a crime.”
Release other photos? It could be an ethmented criminal
The situation intensifies further while Kim Sae-Se-Sore’s family and Garo said they have additional and explicit images of Kim Soo-Hyun. Lawyer No Jong-Eon warned, “If these images exist and are used to press on Kim, this could be considered criminal intimidation.”
According to the Korean law, threatening someone with sexually explicit content involves a minimum prison sentence of one year. If these photos do not exist, the family and the Garo Sero could still be pursued for false accusations and defamation.
The losses of the contract could be blocked on the family
In addition to criminal liabilities, Kim Soo-Hyun is looking for compensation for financial damage. The lawyer did not explain that even if Kim and Sae-Sign were romantically involved, the absence of illegal conduct makes it unlikely that Kim will face sanctions in the sector.
“Kim’s advertising contracts have been canceled due to reputational damage from this case. If it has been authorized by an illicit, the family could be responsible for the sanctions, which is estimated ranging from 20 to 200 billion KRW.”
In the civil court, the joint liability of the crime means that the family can share this enormous financial burden with Garo Sero. No concluded, “The actions of the family, from the distribution of images to the creation of foundation accusations, have clearly crossed the legal line.”
With the criminal and civil cases now in motion, the situation could have serious consequences for the family of Kim Sae-Sore and Garo Sero. If the courts find in favor of Kim Soo-Hyun, the financial and legal consequences could be devastating for those who accused him.
