A Seoul court has approved a provisional seizure of two luxury apartments owned by Kim Se Eui, head of the controversial YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, amid an ₩12 billion ($8.8 million) defamation lawsuit filed by actor Kim Soo Hyun.

According to a June 11 report by Money Today, the Seoul Central District Court granted the seizure request on June 9.

The order covers a 120.27㎡ unit in Seocho-gu and a 208.65㎡ unit in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu.

Kim co-owns the Apgujeong property with his sister, and the seizure targets his 50 percent share.

The total claimed value is estimated at approximately ₩4 billion.

Kim Soo Hyun's agency, Gold Medalist, filed the suit following accusations from Kim Se Eui and the family of the late actress Kim Sae Ron, who alleged that Kim had an inappropriate relationship with her in 2015, when she was still a minor.

Kim Soo Hyun has strongly denied the claim, stating that their relationship began in 2019, after she became an adult.

In a statement, a legal expert familiar with the case, attorney Roh Jong Eon, told Money Today, "This means the court found the lawsuit submitted by Kim Soo Hyun's side sufficiently compelling. They substantiated who was responsible for the defamatory actions and detailed the estimated damage to the agency."

Roh added that the court's decision was based on written documents and issued without a hearing from Kim Se-eui or Kim Sae-ron's family. "The final damage amount may still change during the main trial," he said.

Gold Medalist reportedly submitted evidence refuting any relationship prior to 2019 and argued that a press conference held by Kim Se-eui in May, during which he played an alleged audio file of Kim Sae-ron confirming the relationship, caused reputational and financial harm.

That file was later identified as an AI-generated deepfake.

Despite the seizure, legal experts caution that full recovery of the damages is uncertain.

"Both apartments are reportedly collateral for existing loans," the report noted, meaning asset liquidation may not cover the full ₩12 billion being sought.

Kim Soo Hyun, one of Korea's highest-paid actors, has remained publicly silent beyond initial legal statements.

His agency had previously stated that it would take "all possible legal measures" to protect the actor's reputation.

Kim Se Eui has not publicly commented on the court's decision.

The defamation case has drawn widespread attention, coming amid growing scrutiny over the use of AI-generated media and escalating tensions between public figures and independent online broadcasters.