The horrific death of a popular female influencer left many Korean viewers shocked to their core after an SBS show aired its investigation into the incident.

On October 3, KST, SBS’s Curious Stories Y reported on the death of Yoo Ji Ah, a 20-something female influencer who lost her life just thirty minutes after wrapping up a livestream.

Yoo’s body was reportedly found in a remote, mountainous area in Muju, North Jeolla Province. The time of death was estimated to be September 11, 3:27 pm KST. Her body showed signs of severe facial assault, raising questions about her death.

The suspect in this case is a man in his 50s, identified by the surname “Choi” (alias). Choi reportedly worked as a social media agent and had established a close relationship with the victim, posing as a wealthy CEO of an IT company. However, in reality, he was struggling with debt, and even his home had been put up for auction.

The platform where Yoo used to host her live broadcast used a ranking system for its users, determined by their level of monetary support for the creators. The higher-level ranks required massive spending, and Choi reached level 56, which is said to have cost at least ₩100 million KRW (about $71,000 USD). This earned him a “VIP” status among her followers.

Just a day before the victim’s death, Choi was reportedly seen kneeling before her, pleading for something. Authorities suspect that his excessive financial involvement and personal circumstances led to the crime.

The incident has sparked major discourse about the safety of influencers who are involved in a system of sponsorship from their viewers, blurring the lines between personal and professional.

• “Are you saying he kneeled down asking for the money he donated to be returned?”
• “I don’t understand this world. Spending hundreds of millions to win over influencers!! And on top of that, not even being well-off, even going into debt.”
• “Raise your hand if you don’t understand why people spend money on things like that. No matter how much it’s a personal freedom, it’s not just a small amount; it’s a lot of money, so I really don’t get why they donate. Also, besides these kinds of articles, there’s a big scoop in the entertainment industry right now. Everyone, just Google ‘곽소영6365실시간’ and check it out — it’s for adults only. You’ll understand why the entertainment world is like the animal kingdom, seriously.”

• “Female BJs should watch out for the big spenders. No one just throws around big money without a lot of strings attached.”
• “Do you really think a true rich person would be sending balloons on live broadcasts? There would be gorgeous women everywhere wanting to meet him.”