Kim Soo-hyun Controversy Takes New Turn as Dispatch Identifies Mystery 'Celebrity A' in 2016 Chats

A new development in the Kim Soo-hyun controversy has challenged a central allegation, claiming that police identified another entertainer, known as 'Celebrity A', as the sender of 2016 KakaoTalk messages that were previously attributed to the actor. According to reports, the findings concern conversations with the late actress Kim Sae-ron that were used to allege an underage relationship.

Investigators reportedly established the sender's identity through recovered messages and forensic comparisons, although their name remains undisclosed publicly. The development raises fresh questions about how the screenshots were presented.

Who Is Mystery 'Celebrity A'?

According to a report by Dispatch, police examined four iPhones previously used by Kim Sae-ron and approximately 200 KakaoTalk screenshots stored in cloud storage. Some screenshots identified their participants, while others listed the sender as 'Unknown'. Investigators reportedly matched the disputed messages to conversations naming another entertainer.

Dispatch said Kim Sae-ron referred to that person by name in original exchanges and mentioned colleagues unconnected to Kim Soo-hyun. Differences in spelling, spacing and conversational habits provided further clues. The report said Celebrity A generally used standard Korean spelling, while Kim Soo-hyun frequently used informal abbreviations.

One disputed message asked, 'When can I hold you and fall asleep?' It had previously been presented as evidence of romantic contact between Kim Soo-hyun and the then-underage actress. Dispatch did not publicly identify Celebrity A, and the available findings do not establish the nature of that person's relationship with Kim Sae-ron.

How the KakaoTalk Texts Were Linked to Kim Soo-hyun

The controversy erupted in March 2025 when YouTube channel HoverLab, also known as Garo Sero Research Institute, and representatives of Kim Sae-ron's family released purported conversations from 2016. They alleged that Kim Soo-hyun had dated the actress while she was a minor. He denied the accusation, maintaining that their relationship began in 2019, after she reached adulthood.

Dispatch reported that HoverLab chief Kim Se-ui instructed an employee to replace the contact name 'Unknown' with 'Kim Soo-hyun' before the screenshots were published. An employee reportedly confirmed that instruction during the police investigation. The report also alleged that identifying information about Celebrity A had been removed from material circulated publicly.

Dispatch additionally reported that photographs presented as evidence of an earlier relationship were mostly taken in 2019 and 2020. These allegations concern the handling of evidence and remain subject to related legal proceedings.

What Do Police Findings Mean for Kim Soo-hyun?

The forensic review reportedly found no messages establishing an underage relationship between Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron. Investigators also found that she saved his telephone number in October 2017 and made three calls to him during 2017 and 2018, according to the latest report.

Police declined to refer Kim Soo-hyun for prosecution over the allegations earlier in 2026, following months of publicity and disruption to his acting career. On 14 October, his agency Gold Medallist reiterated that investigators had found insufficient grounds for the allegations and warned against continuing to circulate disputed claims.

Kim Se-ui faces criminal proceedings over alleged defamation. The charges have not resulted in a final conviction. The newly reported findings raise further questions about how the screenshots were presented, while Celebrity A's identity remains outside the public record.