Actors Kim Soo-hyun (left) and the late Kim Sae-ron. Provided by their respective agencies

A determination has been made that it cannot be known whether the audio recording released last year by the YouTube channel ‘Garo Sero Research Institute’ (Gaseyeon), which claimed it was a conversation between actor Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron, was manipulated.

According to Yonhap News on the 15th, the National Forensic Service (NFS) notified the Seoul Gangnam Police Station that last month it reached a conclusion of ‘undeterminable’ regarding whether the recording was manipulated by artificial intelligence (AI).

It is reported that the NFS replied that the recording the police asked to be examined was not the original file, and that there are technical limitations in determining authenticity due to noise and other factors.

Earlier in May, Gaseyeon operator Kim Se-eui held a press conference with the bereaved family of Kim Sae-ron and released a transcript containing the claim that ‘Kim Soo-hyun had been in a relationship with Kim Sae-ron since she was a minor’.

In response, the side of Kim Soo-hyun described it as an “AI-manipulated transcript,” filed a complaint against Kim on charges including defamation, and in August the police asked the NFS to examine the transcript in question.

The police are reportedly still not ruling out the possibility that the transcript was manipulated. A decision on whether to refer Kim to prosecutors is expected soon.