Will Kim Soo-hyun's 12 Billion Won Lawsuit Against Hover Lab's Kim Se-ui Expand? "Economic Damages Estimated at 30 Billion Won"

The legal team of actor Kim Soo-hyun has hinted at the possibility of significantly expanding the scale of their 12 billion won damages lawsuit against Kim Se-ui, the head of the YouTube channel Hover Lab, and others.

Attorney Ko Sang-rok, the legal representative for Kim Soo-hyun, recently shared details regarding the reasons for Kim Se-ui's arrest, related allegations, and their future plans for civil and criminal legal actions during an interview with MBC News. Previously, on May 26, the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui—who faces charges of defamation through false facts, intimidation, unauthorized distribution of filmed materials, and violation of the Stalking Punishment Act—citing "concerns over the destruction of evidence."

Attorney Ko analyzed, "It appears the court recognized the necessity of detention because Kim Se-ui's actions go beyond a simple risk of destroying evidence; the crime itself is directly linked to the fabrication of evidence."
In particular, regarding the fact that attorney Boo Ji-seok, who held a press conference alongside Kim Se-ui, was named as an accomplice, Ko said, "Kim Soo-hyun's side did not initially file a complaint against attorney Boo Ji-seok. However, it is presumed that the investigative authorities booked him separately after finding circumstances of additional involvement. A lawyer claiming in public that the KakaoTalk messages in question actually belonged to actor Kim Soo-hyun played a major role in making the public believe it."

He emphasized, "This incident occurred within a structure where cyber wreckers expand and reproduce sensational controversies for views and profit," adding, "This case is an unprecedented example that goes beyond merely raising suspicions to actually fabricating core evidence."

Previously, Kim Soo-hyun's side filed a 12 billion won lawsuit for damages against Kim Se-ui and others. However, they believe the actual scale of the damage is far greater.

Attorney Ko stated, "Although we filed the lawsuit for 12 billion won based on estimates immediately after the incident last year, the economic losses are much larger at this point. We are considering recalculating the scale of damages and increasing the claim amount." He added, "Based on the materials submitted to the investigative authorities, we estimate that a loss of approximately 30 billion won has occurred. We are also reviewing adjustments to the targets and scope of the defendants depending on the results of the investigation."

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)