HoverLab chief Kim Se-eui (center) speaks to reporters on Tuesday in front of the Seoul Central District Court as he arrives for his arrest warrant hearing. (Yonhap) The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for Kim Se-ui, head of the YouTube channel HoverLab, also known as Garo Sero Institute, on charges of defaming actor Kim Soo-hyun by falsely claiming that he dated the late actor Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.The court cited concerns that Kim could destroy evidence or flee as grounds for issuing the warrant.Kim Se-ui appeared in a YouTube video in March 2025 and claimed that the 37-year-old actor had dated Kim Sae-ron when she was underage and that she took her own life after being pressured by Kim Soo-hyun to repay a debt. Kim Soo-hyun has denied the allegations.Police said in May that Kim Se-ui’s claims were based on manipulated evidence, including altered KakaoTalk messages and an AI-generated voice recording.In their application for the warrant, Gangnam Police Station officials said Kim Se-ui “spread false information with the intent to defame,” despite knowing that Kim Soo-hyun had not dated the late actor when she was a minor and that he was not responsible for her death.Police also said Kim Se-ui played an AI-manipulated voice recording presented as Kim Sae-ron’s voice during a press conference, falsely claiming that she had dated Kim Soo-hyun since middle school.Kim Se-ui called the warrant request “forced and unreasonable.”“The warrant does not even properly organize the basic facts,” Kim told reporters Tuesday before the court’s decision.Kim also disputed the police finding that the voice recording had been manipulated with AI, claiming that the National Forensic Service had said it could not determine whether the file had been fabricated using artificial intelligence.Regarding allegations that he fabricated KakaoTalk messages between Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron, Kim said he had notified viewers in advance that the material had been reconstructed because it contained sensitive details.Kim also said he would file complaints against investigators who sought the warrant, claiming they abused their power, spread false information and distorted the law.