On April 9, 2025, a major update emerged in the ongoing controversy surrounding actor Kim Soo Hyun and his alleged past relationship with the late actress Kim Sae Ron. The Trubaum Research Center, a private firm specializing in court evidence analysis, released the results of an in-depth study called an Author Identification Assessment. This study looked at text messages said to be from Kim Soo Hyun to Kim Sae Ron in 2016 and compared them to messages he sent to friends in 2025. The findings have added a new layer to the debate that’s been buzzing since HOVERLAB, a YouTube channel, first shared recreated texts to claim the two stars dated when Kim Sae Ron was a minor.
What Is an Author Identification Assessment?
The Trubaum Research Center carried out a scientific check to see if the text messages were really written by the same person. They used a method that counts how often certain words and speech patterns show up in texts.
This process looks at 18 different features of language, like how someone uses verbs or adjectives, to figure out their unique writing style. By comparing texts from different times, it calculates the chances they came from the same writer.
Kim Soo Hyun’s team asked for this analysis and gave the researchers his 2025 messages to use as a baseline for comparison.
Key Findings from the Analysis
The results from Trubaum showed two big points.
First, they compared messages said to be between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron from 2018 with messages he sent to friends in 2025. The researchers found no major differences in how the words were used. They said there’s a 92% chance that Kim Soo Hyun wrote both sets of messages, suggesting they match his writing style.
Second, when they looked at the 2016 messages—the ones HOVERLAB claims prove a relationship—they found clear differences compared to the 2025 texts. The analysis showed a 95% chance that Kim Soo Hyun did not write the 2016 messages. This means the language patterns don’t line up with how he writes, raising doubts about whether those texts are really his.
Why This Matters in the Controversy
The 2016 text messages have been at the heart of a heated dispute. HOVERLAB, also known as Garo Sero Research Institute, shared what they called recreated versions of chats between Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron. They argued these texts proved the two were in a romantic relationship back in 2016, when Kim Sae Ron was only 15 years old and Kim Soo Hyun was 28.
This claim sparked outrage online, with many questioning the actor’s actions since Kim Sae Ron was a minor at the time. However, not everyone trusted HOVERLAB’s evidence. Some pointed out that recreated texts—ones made to look like originals—might not be fully reliable.
That’s when Kim Soo Hyun’s team stepped in. They hired Trubaum to dig into the truth, hoping to clear his name by showing the 2016 messages might not even be his.
The Bigger Picture
This analysis is a bold move by Kim Soo Hyun to push back against the allegations. The 92% match for the 2018 texts suggests those could indeed be his, but the 95% mismatch for 2016 is what his team is banking on. It’s their way of saying the most controversial messages—the ones from when Kim Sae Ron was underage—don’t fit his writing style and might be fake or from someone else.
Still, the debate isn’t over. HOVERLAB has been releasing more claims and evidence, like photos and videos, to back their story. Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun has taken legal action, filing a massive 120 billion won lawsuit against the channel and Kim Sae Ron’s family for damages, calling their accusations false and harmful.
Public reaction is mixed. Some fans cheer the scientific findings as proof of his innocence. Others wonder if writing styles can change over nearly a decade, or if Trubaum’s private status—unlike a government forensic agency—makes the results less convincing.
What Happens Next?
The Trubaum report gives Kim Soo Hyun a strong card to play, but it’s not the final word. The legal battle is heating up, and more evidence might still come out from either side. For now, this analysis has shifted the spotlight onto the 2016 texts’ authenticity, keeping everyone guessing about what’s true in this tangled story.
