Earlier this month, an anonymous netizen posted about their fan call with ZEROBASEONE‘s Kim Jiwoong. The netizen alleged that he cursed at the end of the call, a claim that put the idol’s reputation at risk. However, the Korea Forensic Service came to Jiwoong‘s rescue with a detailed breakdown of what really happened.
They meticulously analyzed audio culled from two sources: CCTV footage from WAKEONE Entertainment‘s premises and the video of the call uploaded by the fan. The analysis focused on formants—key peaks in sound that result from the unique way our vocal tract shapes sound waves. In other words, formants are the acoustic signatures of speech. Since these acoustic signatures can vary significantly from person to person, the authorities often use them as a kind of auditory fingerprint to distinguish between speakers.
Forensic phonetics often relies on formant analysis among other techniques to compare voice samples in criminal investigations or legal proceedings. The analysis can help determine if a voice in a recording matches a suspect or victim’s voice by comparing the specific patterns and characteristics of their speech sounds, including their formants.
@wonnieisminee kim jiwoong zb1 “sibal” fancall#kimjiwoong#zb1#fancall#kpopjunghyun_juice🧃@keita’s bodyguard 🇯🇵
♬ nhạc nền – #1 junhyeon jungwon stan – #1 junhyeon jungwon stan
Two critical conclusions
That’s what the Korea Forensic Service did in Jiwoong’s case. By examining the formants, their analysts identified three distinct phrases in succession: “Thank you,” followed by a controversial phrase interpreted as “Ssibal” (a swear word in Korean), and finally, a term that sounded like “Strange” or “suspicious.”
Interestingly, they found no anomalies in the sound frequencies transitioning from one phrase to the next, indicating that the recordings were continuous without any signs of clipping or editing. However, a significant discovery was made regarding the wave patterns between the first phrase and the subsequent ones. The analysis suggested that some form of editing accentuated the latter two phrases, making their pronunciation clearer than the first.
The difference in wave patterns led to two critical conclusions: Jiwoong likely did not utter the controversial second phrase. While the third phrase was confirmed to be spoken by the same individual as the first, it remained unclear if the speaker of the second and third phrases was the same or different.
@isfullsun Dispatch sayang jiung #kimjiwoong #jiwoong #zb1 #zerobaseone #dispatch #fy #fypシ
Kim Jiwoong didn’t utter any curse words
Adding to the evidence, a staff member identified only as ‘D’ talked to Dispatch on Jiwoong’s behalf. D was present during the fan call to monitor the idol. They said, “I don’t remember the fan call between Kim Jiwoong and the fan exactly. But I’m certain Kim Jiwoong didn’t utter any curse words.”
ZEROBASEONE’s agency, WAKEONE Entertainment, issued a statement after Dispatch’s story went live. The label confirmed that it had requested the forensic analysis through its legal team at Law Firm Sejong. It also said they would stand behind the findings, emphasizing its commitment to protecting its artists.
The Korea Forensic Service’s report not only clears Kim Jiwoong of the accusations but also highlights the importance of thorough investigation in resolving disputes. – K-Pop News Writer
Featured Image: Forensic phonetics exonerated Jiwoong. Three cheers for forensic phonetics! Source: X/@fearl_ess.