BJ Lallal Refuses Refund of Hundreds of Thousands of Won in Star Balloons from Middle School Student
Netizens "Still a Middle Schooler... Should Refund" vs "No Need to Refund"
BJ Lallal has sparked controversy by refusing a request to refund "Star Balloons." Photo by BJ Lallal, screenshot from YouTube.
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A famous BJ (internet broadcast host) with 700,000 subscribers revealed that they refused a refund request for a large donation (Star Balloon) received from a middle school fan.
Recently, BJ Lalla (real name Lee Yura) posted a video titled "A viewer asking for a refund of all the Star Balloons sent so far" on her YouTube channel.
In the video, Lalla revealed a note received from the family of her middle school fan. According to the note, the sender, who identified herself as the fan's older sister, said, "My younger sibling created an account under our parents' name and has spent about 7 million won since the beginning of the month," adding, "If we were a wealthy family, we might have been able to resolve this, but since the amount has reached several million won, it seems impossible to solve, so I am contacting you with a heavy heart," requesting a refund.
After introducing the note, Lalla said, "My younger sibling sent this note to all the BJs to whom they sent Star Balloons," and "Looking at the Star Balloons received from this account, it amounts to about 1.3 to 1.4 million won. If you add what was given to other BJs, it would exceed 10 million won."
Lalla said, "Throughout my broadcasts, I have said 'If you are a middle school student, please do not make donations,'" and added, "Star Balloons are purchased with personal consent as a product. BJs also react to donations."
She continued, "The amount of 1.4 million won is not large to me. I could refund it, but I think this friend needs to learn properly," and said, "Just because a minor made a donation does not mean that a legal guardian can cancel it in all cases. I hope this serves as a stern warning and a deep experience for the young friend," expressing her position not to refund.
This statement has sparked heated debates online. One netizen said, "They say it sounds reasonable, but in the end, they just don't want to return the money. Of course, there is no obligation to refund, but since this is a middle school student who still needs protection, some leniency is necessary."
Others responded with comments such as, "It seems they have been sufficiently educated, so it would be right to return the money," "If they had donated instead, they probably wouldn't have been criticized this much," and "It's true that they need to feel responsibility, but the method was wrong."
On the other hand, some agreed that Lalla's response was appropriate. Another netizen said, "This is a proper life lesson. If it weren't for this incident, this student would have continued donating to BJs," and "Middle school students are old enough to distinguish right from wrong, so I don't understand why Lalla is being criticized."
As the controversy grew, Lalla set the video to private.
The issue of minors making large donations in internet broadcasts is not new. Last November, elementary school student A deposited 130 million won to BJs on the live streaming app Hakuna Live, causing controversy. The money was a deposit saved by A's parents for moving into a new rental home.
After learning of this, A's father met with the BJs to explain their financial difficulties, and most BJs reportedly promised refunds.
Also, in May of the same year, 14-year-old middle school student B sent about 30 million won to streamers on the game streaming site Twitch. B claimed to be an adult, saying things like "I have completed military service" and "I just got off work," and donated large sums. However, after it was revealed that B was a middle school student, the streamers received a handwritten apology from B and refunded part of the amount after deducting fees.
Given these circumstances, the government is moving to amend laws to prevent minors from making reckless donations to broadcasters.
In March, the Korea Communications Commission announced plans to revise the "Telecommunications Business Act." Through the amendment, the commission intends to mandate platform operators to implement measures such as △setting payment limits for platform users △strengthening protection for minors △operating user protection channels.
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