South Korea was stunned following the untimely demise of ascending TikTok influencer Yoon Ji-ah who was discovered lifeless in North Jeolla Province’s Muju County on September 11th.
According to local news from The JoongAng, The Chosun Daily, and Chosun Biz, she was discovered with bruises as well as strangulation marks, with a subsequent autopsy verifying that the cause of death was asphyxia due to compression of the neck.
The authorities speculate that the influencer, who had more than 300,000 TikTok followers, was assaulted some 30 minutes after completing her livestream. Alarming enough, she had also been livestreaming from Yeongjong Island in Incheon, some three hours from where she was eventually found dead.
Double Life Unveiled: Who is Choi?
The main suspect is a man in his 50s named Choi, who was exposed to live a double life when a live broadcast of Curious Story Y on Seoul Broadcasting System was shown.
Reports indicate that Choi masqueraded as a successful IT company CEO to Yoon Ji-ah and was also referred to as a “big spending VIP” in livestream shows with the alias “Black Cat.”
Despite his lavish life, reports say that he was deep in debt, his home seized through coercive auction. To put Choi in the top 46 of 50 on TikTok most fan list, he would’ve had to donate at least 100 million won ($73,000).
A Toxic Partnership Turned Deadly
Yoon Ji-ah was said to want to move away from Choi because of his coercive behavior and unreasonable demands. CCTV footage captured the shocking episode on September 11th when she was apparently prevented from exiting a car by force at local time 3:27. It was disclosed by her family that she also confided in them about Choi’s controlling behavior.
Before she died, Choi was seen begging on his knees for Ji-ah not to end their collaboration. He was also seen on tape with a suspicious duffel bag, reportedly making eight noticeable stops on the way to Muju County in an effort to confuse detectives.
Arrest, Denial, and Confession
Choi was detained on September 13th. At first, he denied involvement, but then finally confessed when he learned that Ji-ah’s body was recovered. As reported by The Chosun Daily and Chosun Biz, his changing tale so far truly fueled public indignation.
