YouTuber Lee Jin-ho refuted the recording shared by the family of Kim Sae-ron and Kim Se-eui, the representative of Garosero Research Institute, stating it was "manipulated through artificial intelligence (AI)." He also claimed that the informant behind the recording was a "New Jersey con artist" who demanded a large sum from Kim Soo-hyun's side.
During a press conference held on the 7th at a location in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Lee Jin-ho said, "At the center of this incident that Kim Se-eui has come forward to expose is a person known as a 'New Jersey con artist.' This person is a scammer who extorts money through methods such as voice phishing." Prior to this, the family of Kim Sae-ron claimed that the informant who provided the recording had been assaulted.
Lee Jin-ho continued, "This person contacted me on April 5 under the name Kevin Oh. Upon further verification, it was confirmed that he used another name, Kal, and he approached me first expressing a desire to inform about Kim Soo-hyun."
He added, "He is someone who worked in the entertainment industry and is currently residing in the U.S. I randomly met Kim Sae-ron at a Korean pub in New Jersey last November, exchanged contact information, and around January 12-13 of this year, I received a message from Kim Sae-ron asking to borrow $4,500. We met at Starbucks, and instead of writing a loan agreement, we recorded his voice."
In this process, Lee Jin-ho claimed that late Kim Sae-ron met actor Kim Soo-hyun after turning adult and spoke of him as a 'good older brother.' He stated, "I had another call with the New Jersey con artist on the 6th of last month, and I secured the recording file of Kim Sae-ron he sent on the 16th. It sounded exactly like Kim Sae-ron's voice. His acquaintances also concluded that it was indeed her voice." Lee also mentioned that Kim Se-eui tried to cross over to the U.S. to meet the New Jersey con artist around the 13th or 14th of last month.
Additionally, a forensic report was released indicating that the audio and video files provided by the informant were manipulated. Lee Jin-ho stated, "The recording was analyzed to be based on voices created through AI, with a third party, namely the New Jersey con artist, adding his own voice and noise. This informant attempted to contact both myself and Kim Soo-hyun's side to demand a large sum. I confirmed that Kim Soo-hyun's side ignored the claims after reviewing the recording materials."
He further refuted, saying, "The New Jersey con artist claims he was assaulted by someone sent by Kim Soo-hyun's side, and he also sent me photos of him being assaulted. This was information that could easily be found through a Google search."
Earlier on the same day, the legal representative for the family of Kim Sae-ron, Bujiseok, the representative attorney from Law Firm Buyou, and Kim Se-eui held a press conference where they disclosed parts of the recording from January 10 at a Starbucks in New Jersey, where Kim Sae-ron spoke for over an hour with an acquaintance. This occurred about a month before Kim Sae-ron's death.
The recording included content indicating that Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship with Kim Soo-hyun since middle school and had sexual relations in the second year of middle school. In response, the associate attorney stated, "The family has filed a complaint against Kim Soo-hyun for violating child welfare laws and false accusations, and they also reported that the informant was attacked with a weapon and faced life-threatening risks, requesting an investigation."