Single Mom Influencer Raising a Child with Developmental Disabilities Suspected of Borrowing Money and Disappearing

“My Husband Is in Prison... I Carried My Child on My Back to Work”
Revelations Emerge: “Borrowed Money from Followers for Gambling”

A famous influencer who introduced herself as a single mom raising a child with developmental disabilities alone after divorcing her husband serving time in prison appeared on an entertainment program and has been embroiled in allegations of repeatedly borrowing money and disappearing.

On the 10th, SBS’s current affairs and culture program ‘Curious Story Y’ covered the story of influencer Ms. Lee, who is known as the so-called ‘wannabe mom’.

Ms. Lee appeared on the KBS Joy entertainment program ‘Ask Anything’ broadcast on August 28, 2023, claiming, “My ex-husband, from whom I divorced, is serving time in prison, and he left behind a lot of debt,” and “I applied for emergency living expenses at the community service center and carried my child on my back to go to work with the thought of surviving.”

Later, Ms. Lee succeeded as a beauty entrepreneur, flaunting her wealth by posting photos of herself with a luxury foreign car and at department stores on social media (SNS), becoming a symbol of comfort and hope for parents in similar situations. She also formed an offline group called the ‘Enzyme Sect’ with her followers, claiming to have successfully lost 30 kg in a short period. They reportedly participated in the diet by jointly purchasing the food Ms. Lee introduced as her diet secret.

Lee appeared on the KBS Joy entertainment program 'Ask Anything'.
[Image source=KBS Joy 'Ask Anything' capture]

One day, Ms. Lee proposed a business investment to Ms. Young-eun (a pseudonym), who is raising a child with developmental disabilities, saying, “I want to help someone in the same situation as you.” Ms. Young-eun lent Ms. Lee a total of 21 million won. However, in December last year, Ms. Lee disappeared after saying, “There is a problem with the company, so please wait a little.”

It turned out that many subscribers from all over the country, besides Ms. Young-eun, received the same proposal and either invested money or lent money to Ms. Lee. The amount of damage ranged from several million won to tens of millions of won.

When contacted by the production team of ‘Curious Story Y,’ Ms. Lee said, “I was registered as a voice phishing criminal, so my bank account is unusable. Once that is resolved, I will repay.” When asked, “Why don’t you sell the luxury goods you posted on social media to repay?” Ms. Lee replied, “They were all stolen.” She also claimed, “I was hospitalized” and “I was scammed.”

Meanwhile, the victims said they received messages from Ms. Lee’s boyfriend while waiting for her contact. Ms. Lee’s boyfriend reportedly revealed, “She never did a group purchase business and was gambling.” Additionally, an acquaintance of Ms. Lee claimed that she is not with her child and usually enjoys nightlife. Regarding this, Ms. Lee responded, “I’m not abusing the child, so what does it matter who takes care of the kid?”