Kim Se-ui, detained over allegations involving Kim Soo-hyun, faces seizure of deposit money—surviving on 6,600 won a day

It has been revealed that Kim Se-ui, the head of Garo Sero Institute who was detained and indicted on charges including defamation for raising allegations related to actor Kim Soo-hyun, has come to live in a detention center with an amount equivalent to approximately 6,600 won per day. This occurred as the court approved a decision to seize the claims to his deposit money, resulting in a limit on the amount he can use each month. However, as he is still an unconvicted detainee whose sentence has not yet been finalized, the court ruled that the entire amount for minimum living expenses cannot be seized.

Eun Hyeon-jang, who operates the YouTube channel 'God of Business', mentioned the court's decision regarding the seizure of Kim Se-ui's deposit money during a broadcast on the 11th. Previously, the Seoul Central District Court made a decision to seize Kim Se-ui's deposit money claims last June, and it is reported that this decision was recently finalized. The target of the seizure is a deposit money claim worth approximately 100 million won, but an amount within the range of 200,000 won per month was excluded from the seizure to guarantee minimum living standards. Converted to a daily basis, this is approximately 6,600 won.

Eun Hyeon-jang claimed that the process surrounding the seizure limit was not smooth. He stated that Kim Se-ui's side requested to be allowed to use up to 1 million won per month, mentioning basic items such as toilet paper and bandages, but he countered that request. He further explained that it took about four months to set the amount excluded from the seizure at 200,000 won per month, and that 22 million won was spent on lawyer fees alone.

However, this decision is distinct from a measure to prevent Kim Se-ui from using all of his deposit money. Eun Hyeon-jang stated that because Kim Se-ui is still an unconvicted detainee whose sentence has not been finalized, it was impossible to seize the entire amount of his deposit money. It is interpreted that the court determined the scope of the seizure and the exempted amount by considering two circumstances: the preservation of claims and the guarantee of minimum living standards within the detention center.

Previously, after the decision to seize the deposit money was made in July, Kim Se-ui appealed that he was experiencing difficulties purchasing daily necessities. He claimed that it was difficult to purchase bottled water, toilet paper, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, and even that he was in a situation where he could not buy medicine. The monthly exemption limit of 200,000 won revealed this time is the point of contention between these living difficulties and the measures to preserve claims. However, what items can be purchased and to what extent in actual detention center life may vary depending on individual circumstances.

The background of Kim Se-ui's detention and indictment lies in the allegations raised regarding Kim Soo-hyun and the late Kim Sae-ron. Kim Se-ui is accused of spreading content through YouTube broadcasts and other media claiming that Kim Soo-hyun dated Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor, and that the cause of Kim Sae-ron's death was due to pressure for debt repayment from Kim Soo-hyun's side. These contents are the core issues of the defamation charges, and the specific facts and legal responsibilities must be judged through judicial procedures.

This matter makes one reconsider to what extent the act of raising allegations about celebrities online can be permitted, and how unverified claims can affect the honor and rights of the parties involved. The more public interest a case has, the faster provocative revelations and assertive expressions spread, but the fact that their impact is large does not mean that fact-checking and legal responsibility become lighter.

The controversy surrounding Kim Se-ui's life in the detention center is also not an issue to be judged solely by emotional disputes. The seizure of deposit money is a legal procedure to preserve claims, and at the same time, it is connected to the basic living conditions of unconvicted detainees. Therefore, to examine the essence of the case, it is necessary to look at the truth of the allegations related to Kim Soo-hyun, the judicial judgment regarding the defamation charges, and the specific scope of the seizure as separate matters.

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