An actress and social media influencer is suspected to have been brutally killed shortly after a live stream by a prominent supporter who left her remains in a suitcase in a mountainous area.
Yoon Ji-ah, reportedly in her twenties, was attacked and strangled to death on September 11. Investigators suggest that the online personality, with over 300,000 TikTok followers, encountered danger right after concluding the live broadcast.
Yoon was shooting footage on Yeongjong Island, Incheon, South Korea, about a three-hour drive from where her body was eventually found. According to local accounts, the murder suspect is a man in his fifties, known only by the surname Choi.
Choi was purportedly leading a double life when he presented himself to Yoon Ji-ah as the CEO of an IT firm. He allegedly approached the influencer under the guise of a potential business collaborator, pledging to boost her follower count.
The individual is believed to have been well-known on video platforms and gained recognition as a ‘big-spending VIP’ using the alias ‘Black cat’. Reports indicate that the platform where Yoon Ji-ah conducted her live streams had a ranking system based on the financial support creators received.
Choi reportedly reached level 56, which reportedly cost at least £53,000. However, he was apparently in debt, and his residence had been seized in a forced auction. Yoon Ji-ah purportedly desired to sever ties with Choi due to his demanding directives and unreasonable demands, as per reports.
Disturbingly, Choi was captured on surveillance footage prior to Yoon Ji-ah’s demise, allegedly pleading on his knees for her not to end their association.
The influencer’s mourning family also alleges that cameras recorded Yoon Ji-ah being forcibly restrained from leaving a vehicle around 3:27 p.m. local time on September 11. The car door was then forcefully shut.
Yoon Ji-ah’s body was subsequently found deserted in a grassy field on a mountain in Muju County, with an autopsy confirming her cause of death as asphyxiation due to neck compression.
As per reports, Choi was observed around the time of her disappearance carrying a suitcase towards the mountain, making eight stops before reaching his destination.
Choi was apprehended just 12 hours after the body’s discovery. Initially, he denied the allegations but later admitted to the influencer’s murder, local media reported.