Claims of Murder Plot Against Kim Sae-ron Whistleblower Proven False: No U.S. Case Filed
On May 19, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York stated that no South Korean nationals have been arrested or investigated in the jurisdiction for crimes involving attempted murder or similar offenses.
Under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, local law enforcement agencies are required to notify the consulate without delay in the event that a Korean national is detained. As of this report, the consulate has received no such notice, confirming that no official investigation has been opened in the U.S. related to the alleged incident.
Speculation arose after Kim Se-ui, CEO of Garosero Research Institute, claimed at a May 7 press conference that a man called “A” was stabbed in New Jersey by two suspects linked to Kim Soo-hyun. The attack, described as a contracted crime, is under FBI investigation.
However, Korean diplomatic authorities clarified that there is no confirmation from U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI, and noted that such claims fall outside the scope of their accessible information.
The whistleblower, “A”, is the individual who initially provided an alleged voice recording of the late Kim Sae-ron to Garosero Research Institute. In the recording, Kim Sae-ron supposedly claimed to have been in a romantic relationship with Kim Soo-hyun as a minor in 2015. The recording’s authenticity has since come under serious scrutiny.
On May 7, YouTuber and former journalist Lee jin-ho held a press conference presenting a forensic report suggesting the audio was artificially created using AI voice cloning and manipulated by the whistleblower. He also revealed that the whistleblower contacted both him and Kim Soo-hyun’s team, demanding a large sum of money to withhold the recording, but Kim Soo-hyun’s side reviewed and chose to ignore the demands.
These developments cast serious doubt on the credibility of the whistleblower and the content provided to Garosero Research Institute. As no physical injuries or legal filings have been verified, and with the alleged audio file under suspicion of manipulation, public skepticism surrounding the whistleblower’s claims continues to grow.
