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The latest news that is grabbing the headlines is that of Big Bang’s Seungri being scammed by songstress Shin Eun-sung. However, this is not the first time that Korean stars have been involved in scam cases. Despite their glamorous and wealthy lives, many stars are susceptible to fraud and scams.


1. IU

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One of the most well known cases is that of IU. As a young girl trying to make her debut in the entertainment industry, she experienced various hardships, including getting scammed by her agency.

She explained her situation in an interview, saying “After failing several auditions, I visited a music agency. They promised that if I pay them a certain amount of money, they would train me and put me on TV.” But unfortunately, the agency disappeared the very next day, with IU’s money.


2. Shin So-yul

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Actress Shin So-yul also went through a scam case in her early 20s. In the variety show “Full House,” she revealed that she had been scammed twice. She commented “I loved meeting new people and had a very outgoing personality when I made my debut at the age of 20.” However, she added, “Two agencies deceived me and I couldn’t work during my lively young years,” as she burst into tears.


3. Sojin

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The third celebrity, Girl’s Day’s Sojin has also had a similar experience. In the entertainment show “Happy Together 3,” she shared her experience with the hosts.

Starting her career as a musician, she was given the chance to debut by giving the agency 2 million won. But after a few months of training, the chief manager fled with the trainees’ money, leaving her helpless.


4. Lee Min-ho

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Last November, a Korean media outlet reported that Lee Min-ho was involved in a fraud case. An agency chief, only identified as Kim, asked a woman for investment in the production of a photo album that featured Lee Min-ho.

He promised a return of 18 percent of the profits and the deal was made for 600 million won. However, Kim failed in the project, and was unable to return the investment or share the promised profit. Even though the case was not directly related to the celebrity himself, many were concerned about the damage to Lee Min-ho’s reputation.

By Kim Ji-young (christinekim@heraldcorp.com)