Kim Sae-ron’s name continues to make headlines even after her passing, as the controversy surrounding cyberwrecker-YouTuber Lee Jin-ho’s claims takes another turn. Now, allegations have surfaced that the audio recordings he presented as evidence may have been manipulated.
Lee Jin-ho previously claimed that Kim Sae-ron had secretly married a non-celebrity man, A, in the U.S., experienced an unplanned pregnancy and subsequent abortion, and suffered from domestic violence. He presented an audio recording of Kim Sae-ron allegedly confirming these details in a phone call with her agency representative on January 8 while in New York.
However, a Chinese netizen, B, has now raised concerns that the recording was edited. “Lee Jin-ho’s audio has clear signs of being cut. There are multiple breaks between Kim Sae-ron’s sentences. His own voice in the recording, however, has no unnatural pauses,” B stated, sharing an analysis of the audio waveform.
Additionally, B accused Lee Jin-ho of harassing Kim Sae-ron with malicious reports for three years following her DUI incident. The person who leaked the recording was allegedly Kim Sae-ron’s former manager, who, according to B, “once asked Kim Sae-ron to join their own agency after her contract with Gold Medalist ended, yet secretly provided information to Lee Jin-ho.”
Meanwhile, Kim Sae-ron’s connection to Kim Soo-hyun has also been under intense scrutiny. The controversial channel Garosero Research Institute (Garo Sero) previously claimed that Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron had been in a relationship for six years, beginning when she was a minor. A woman claiming to be Kim Sae-ron’s aunt provided affectionate photos of the two, while Kim Sae-ron’s mother demanded a public apology from both Kim Soo-hyun and Gold Medalist.
Kim Soo-hyun’s side denied the allegations, stating that their relationship began only after Kim Sae-ron became an adult. Meanwhile, Lee Jin-ho defended himself by asserting that his reports were intended to help with Kim Sae-ron’s comeback rather than harm her.
Kim Sae-ron’s family filed a complaint against Lee Jin-ho on March 17. Garo Sero escalated the controversy by releasing an alleged photo of a man, presumed to be Kim Soo-hyun, wearing no pants, and accused Lee Jin-ho of creating fake news under Gold Medalist’s influence.
Lee Jin-ho has now declared legal action, stating that he will fight to clear his name. However, with conflicting narratives and accusations of evidence manipulation, the truth remains shrouded in uncertainty.