Kim Se-ui of Gaseoyeon faces 5 charges including blackmail of actor Kim Soo-hyun; first trial set for next month

Kim Se-ui runs Gaseoyeon (가세로연구소), a YouTube channel. He's now facing five charges: blackmail, attempted coercion, defamation, and stalking. The allegations center on a campaign against actor Kim Soo-hyun. Prosecutors have framed it in terms more extreme than the N-room case, citing threatened release of lower-body photos and demands reportedly totaling 180 billion won.

Trial begins the 14th of next month. On May 26, 2026, Kim Se-ui appeared at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu for a pre-arrest warrant review hearing.

(Five charges stacked on one YouTuber is substantial.)