A popular Korean TikTok influencer has been murdered, and the alleged killer is one of her most dedicated supporters, a man in his 50’s who had donated more than $70,000 to the social media starlet.
The Chosun Daily reports that tragedy struck the Korean streaming community when the body of Yoon Ji-ah, a beloved TikTok star with over 300,000 followers, was discovered on a remote mountainside in September. The 20-something influencer had been strangled to death, her body left bruised and battered. Investigators quickly zeroed in on a suspect — a man in his 50s known only as “Choi” who had donated over $70,000 to Yoon under the online alias “Black Cat.”
Police say Choi had become increasingly obsessed with Yoon, claiming to be a wealthy IT executive and pressuring her into a business partnership. In reality, Choi was drowning in debt, his home recently seized in foreclosure. When Yoon tried to distance herself from his controlling behavior, police say Choi’s infatuation turned deadly.
CCTV footage captured the suspect’s final encounter with Yoon, showing him pulling the young woman into her own car against her will. Investigators believe she was killed just 30 minutes after ending her last livestream. Choi then allegedly disposed of Yoon’s body before leading authorities on a convoluted chase, abandoning her remains in the wilderness.
When police caught up to Choi 12 hours later, he initially denied involvement but confessed once Yoon’s body was located. The brutal slaying has renewed concerns about the dangers of parasocial relationships between streamers and obsessive fans.
Sadly, Yoon’s murder is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, a Japanese streamer was stabbed to death by a stalker while broadcasting live to thousands of viewers. The wave of violence targeting content creators has major streaming stars reconsidering public appearances out of fear for their own safety.
Read more at the Chosun Daily here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
