95% fake? Kim Soo Hyun’s texts to Kim Sae Ron may be doctored, forensic team hired by actor suggests

South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun has taken legal steps to counter allegations surrounding his alleged past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron, by hiring a forensic linguistic team to examine the authenticity of a controversial set of KakaoTalk messages. These messages, some of which include sexually suggestive language, were first brought to public attention by the YouTube channel GaroSero Institute and allegedly date back to 2016—when Kim Sae Ron was still a minor.

The actor, through his legal team, commissioned the Truebaum Institute to carry out a detailed linguistic analysis of the texts. The investigation was prompted by increasing online speculation, conflicting timelines, and new material released by Kim Sae Ron’s family that purportedly supported claims of a relationship prior to her reaching adulthood.

Linguistic report raises serious doubts

According to Kbizoom, on 9 April 2025, the Truebaum Institute published its findings. The team, which specialises in "author identification" techniques, conducted an in-depth comparative analysis of KakaoTalk messages attributed to Kim Soo Hyun from three different years—2016, 2018, and 2025.

The 2025 messages, verified as authentic through real conversation logs, served as a reference point for comparison. According to the report, there is a 95% probability that the 2016 messages—those central to the current scandal—were fabricated. The likelihood that the same person authored both the 2016 and 2025 messages was estimated to be only 8%, while a comparison between the 2016 and 2018 messages showed a 92% mismatch, further suggesting different authorship.

The methodology examined tone, syntax, word choice, sentence structure, and other linguistic markers unique to an individual’s writing style. The findings support Soo Hyun’s claim that the messages may not have originated from him.

Controversial phrases spark outrage

The messages in question included explicit phrases that stirred public anger and suspicion, such as:  “I want to sleep with you,”  “When can I hold you,”  “Kisses.”

These lines have been widely shared across social media, leading to intense backlash and raising concerns over whether Kim Soo Hyun was involved with Kim Sae Ron during her teenage years.

Agency maintains relationship began in 2019

Despite the noise surrounding the scandal, Kim Soo Hyun and his agency have stood firm on their position: that the actor had a brief romantic relationship with Kim Sae Ron in 2019, after she became a legal adult. They have categorically denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate behaviour prior to that time.

Kim Sae Ron’s family, however, added to the controversy by releasing what they described as corroborative evidence, supposedly verifying that the relationship began earlier. 

Alleged reconstructions and legal threats

Further complicating matters is the fact that the original version of the 2016 KakaoTalk messages has not been made public. Instead, YouTuber Kim Se Ui—who initially revealed the chat history—admitted that the messages were reconstructed for clarity and presentation purposes. He did not present screenshots of the original unedited exchanges.

In a separate twist, YouTuber Lee Jin Ho, who is currently facing legal action from Kim Sae Ron’s family for defamation, claimed that Kim Soo Hyun had been dating someone else in 2016 and that Kim Sae Ron was also in a different relationship at the time. He also alleged that both were aware of each other's respective partners.

As it stands, Kim Soo Hyun’s legal team is using the results of the forensic analysis to strengthen their position. The actor’s representatives are expected to request that the disputed messages be excluded from further public discussion or legal consideration, unless original and verified copies are produced.