Actor Lee Yi-kyung finds himself cleared of suspicion after a week of online rumors that set social networks ablaze. The individual behind the accusations eventually admitted to fabricating the messages allegedly exchanged with the actor, using images generated by artificial intelligence.
On October 22, the person behind the scandal deleted his account on social networks after posting a message of apology.. In her text, she explains that she started out "as a game", without imagining that her publication would take on such proportions. "I used photos created by AI, and the more I wrote, the more I ended up believing what I had invented myself", she admitted. She added that she deeply regretted having contributed to spreading false rumors about Lee Yi-kyung, and said she was ready to accept the consequences of her actions.
2 days earlier, this same person had published screenshots intended to prove the actor's involvement in explicit exchanges. The content, relayed massively on Korean forums, suggested that Lee Yi-kyung had asked his interlocutor for intimate photos. The actor's agency reacted immediately, denouncing the accusations as totally unfounded and announcing legal proceedings for disseminating false information.
After the hoaxer's confession, public opinion was divided. Some believe that an arrangement could have been reached behind the scenes, while others sympathize with the actor, whose reputation has been unfairly tarnished.
Nevertheless, Lee Yi-kyung continues his activities without interruption. He is currently a regular member of the shows I Am Solo and Hangout with Yoo, and has just been announced as the new host of The Return of Superman. On the drama front, he will soon be starring in Generational Regret alongside Jung Jae-young, and in the drama It's You, Out of the Blue with Jung Yong-hwa, Hong Seung-hee, Han Chae-ah and Park You-na.
This puts an end to a controversy that was entirely fabricated, once again highlighting the potential for artificial intelligence tools to spread false information. This situation also raises the question of stricter legislation in such cases, especially as this is not the first AI-related controversy in South Korea. We're also thinking of the Kim Soo-hyun case, in which messages were fabricated by AI, and yet today there is still no favorable outcome for the actor, who has had to put his entire career on hold while waiting for the courts to reach a verdict.
