Forensic Lab Unable to Determine If Kim Soo-hyun Audio Recording Was AI-Manipulated

South Korea's National Forensic Service (NFS) has ruled it cannot determine whether an audio recording allegedly capturing a conversation between actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late actress Kim Sae-ron was manipulated using artificial intelligence.

The NFS notified Seoul Gangnam Police Station last month that it reached an "unable to determine" conclusion regarding whether the audio file was AI-manipulated, Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday.

The forensic agency reportedly cited technical limitations in verifying the recording's authenticity, as the file submitted for analysis was not the original and contained background noise.

In May, Kim Se-eui, operator of the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute" (Gaseyeon), held a press conference with Kim Sae-ron's bereaved family and released a transcript claiming that "Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor."

Kim Soo-hyun's legal team subsequently filed a defamation complaint against Kim Se-eui, claiming the recording was "AI-manipulated." Police referred the recording to the NFS for forensic analysis in August.