Korean influencer Yoon Ji-ah was found dead on a mountainside after her final livestream. According to authorities, the TikToker was attacked just 30 minutes after she finished filming
An actress and influencer is believed to have been brutally murdered just 30 minutes after a live stream by a VIP fan who left her body in a suitcase in the mountains.
Yoon Ji-ah, said to have been in her 20s, was assaulted and strangled to death on 11 September. Investigators believe the internet personality, who had over 300,000 followers on TikTok, encountered danger almost immediately after ending the live broadcast.
Yoon had been filming in Yeongjong Island, Incheon, South Korea – around a three-hour drive away from where her body was eventually discovered. According to local reports, the suspect in the murder case is a man in his 50s, identified only by the surname Choi.
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Choi was allegedly living a double life when he introduced himself to Yoon Ji-ah as the CEO of an IT company. He reportedly approached the influencer under the pretence of becoming a business partner, promising to increase her follower count.
The man is believed to have be well-known on video platforms and earned the title of a ‘big-spending VIP’ under his nickname ‘Black cat’. According to local media, the platform where Yoon Ji-ah would host her livestreams employed a ranking system, based on the level of monetary support for the creators.
Choi reportedly reached level 56, which is said to have cost at least £53,000, reports The News. However, he was allegedly in debt and his house had been seized through a forced auction. Yoon Ji-ah allegedly wanted to cut ties with Choi due to his coercive instructions and unreasonable scheduling, according to reports.
Chillingly, Choi was caught on security footage before Yoon Ji-ah’s death, allegedly begging on his knees for her not to terminate their partnership.
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The influencer’s grieving family also claim that cameras captured Yoon Ji-ah being “forcibly” prevented from exiting a car at around 3:27 p.m. local time on 11 September, per Chosun Biz. The door of the vehicle was then slammed shut.
Yoon Ji-ah’s body was later found abandoned in a grassy field on the mountain in Muju County, with an autopsy report determining her cause of death was asphyxiation due to neck compression.
According to the outlet, Choi had been seen around the time of her disappearance with a suitcase heading towards the mountain. He allegedly stopped eight times before his arrival.
Choi was arrested just 12 hours after the discovery of the body. He initially denied the charges upon arrest but eventually confessed to killing the influencer, according to local media.