The Unmuted

The Media Gave Him the Mic: How Kim Se-ui Was Allowed to Rewrite the Truth

By:Pixie

At the beginning of this case, the media should have acted as a gatekeeper — fact-checking, verifying, investigating.

Instead, they handed Kim Se-ui a microphone.

They gave a platform to someone already known for targeted defamation and cyberbullying — and that’s how the situation with Kim Soo-hyun, and others before him, exploded into national headlines. Not because of verified evidence — but because the media made it sensational. They didn’t even report it as alleged. They didn’t lead with uncertainty. They ran wild with emotionally manipulative headlines, and never clarified that no confirmed proof had been presented.

Even now, falsehoods continue to circulate on social media. People still cite “chat messages” that were never authenticated. They were reproduced, not preserved — and even those reproductions were questionable. Why did a current photo of Kim Soo-hyun appear in an alleged older chat? Why was the user labeled “Soo-hyun” by Ga Se Yeon instead of actual metadata?

The media ignored all of it.

They didn’t ask why metadata wasn’t examined — which alone could’ve dated the photos and proved they were manipulated. They didn’t question why Soo-hyun’s identity couldn’t be confirmed in the chat. Every image was debunked — through metadata or clothing dates. There was no evidence he had access to Kim Sae-ron as a minor.

But when it was revealed that Soo-hyun had been in a long-term relationship from 2016–2019 during his military enlistment, what did the media say?

They called him a “two-timer.”

Not, “That proves he wasn’t dating her.”

Then came the so-called “military letter” — a postcard shown to be manipulated using a real message he had sent before. The original version made no mention of love. It read more like a polite response to someone he barely knew. Any Korean-speaking reporter could’ve read it and drawn that conclusion.

But they didn’t bother.

Meanwhile, the family shifted their story over time. They began walking back statements, denying earlier quotes, hiding behind the shield of being the “bereaved family.” It worked. No one questioned their motives.

After Soo-hyun’s press conference, the family started to quietly walk back their claims. First, they demanded an apology for dating while she was a minor. But soon after, their lawyer told media that Soo-hyun only had “good feelings” during his younger years, and the “normal relationship started after he became an adult.”

This contradiction was never questioned. The media didn’t press them on why the narrative changed — they just kept reporting whatever was handed to them.

At first, they demanded only an apology — for minor dating, for a reminder about a repaid loan, for not attending the funeral of an ex. They made these demands as if Sae-ron were a head of state.

But no one asked: Why should anyone apologize for reminding someone of a debt they didn’t even cause?

Because when you dig deeper, the real story is this:

Sae-ron had taken out a loan for her own family at age 14.

Her father filed bankruptcy.

She became the head of household — paying her siblings’ school fees, carrying the weight of adult responsibilities.

And then came Kim Soo-hyun’s press conference.

He didn’t apologize. He didn’t cave. He fought back.

He presented evidence showing the chats weren’t from him. That he wasn’t Sae-ron’s creditor. That loan discussions were handled through his company. That he had done nothing wrong. And the media? They barely reported the content of what he said.

They continued to parrot the false narrative.

And just when the story seemed to quiet down, it escalated again — this time through a fake AI audio of Sae-ron, allegedly “pouring her heart out.” The audio was completely fabricated.

How do we know?

Because Lee Ho-jin and the God of Business held a press conference of their own — immediately after Kim Se-ui’s and the family’s lawyers finished theirs. Lee revealed that the scammer behind the AI audio had contacted him, trying to sell the clip. He played along, gained his trust, and received the sample audio along with details about Se-ui’s press plans.

The clip was tested.

It was confirmed to be AI-generated.

Still, the family tried to save face by filing a child welfare complaint using the fake audio as evidence. And the media? Silent. Again.

The police allowed Se-ui and the family to stall summons and delay investigation.

And we haven’t forgotten Mr. Frog — the designer/mastermind who attended the funeral just to launch the money grab. He chose the lawyer. He negotiated the 20% success fee for a civil suit they can’t even file, because there’s no proof.

We remember how they claimed eight friends would testify that Soo-hyun dated Sae-ron as a minor — only to deny it later when asked for evidence. Even with the original media statement in hand.

We could revisit the choices Sae-ron made in her life, but that isn’t the point.

What matters is what this case has done to Soo-hyun.

The mental and physical toll.

The endless smear campaign.

The isolation.

And above all — the betrayal by the media.

They didn’t just report the story — they weaponized it.

They’ve written sensational headlines that bury the facts. They’ve linked his name to scandals he had nothing to do with. They’ve written every update with the allegations first — so the truth is smothered before it even gets seen.

This isn’t reporting. This is abuse.

And no matter how quiet the media goes now,

we won’t forget.

Thanks for stopping by.

Pixie