A South Korean TikTok influencer was found dead on a remote mountainside just 30 minutes after completing her final livestream, with police arresting a man who allegedly posed as a successful business partner while living a double life of financial ruin and obsession.
Yoon Ji-ah, reportedly in her 20s, was discovered dead on Thursday, September 11, 2025, in Muju County, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. The influencer, who had amassed over 300,000 followers across social media platforms, was found with signs of strangulation and multiple bruises in a grassy field.
Authorities determined that Yoon died within 30 minutes of ending her livestream, which she had been filming on Yeongjong Island, Incheon — more than three hours away from where her body was discovered. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death was asphyxiation due to neck compression.
The suspect, identified only by the surname Choi and described as a man in his 50s, was arrested on September 13. Choi had presented himself to the influencer as the CEO of an IT company and convinced her to enter a business partnership with promises of increasing her social media following.
However, investigators revealed that Choi was living a fabricated life. While he maintained the persona of a successful tech executive, he was actually drowning in debt and had lost his home through a forced auction. On video platforms, he operated under the nickname “Black Cat” and had established himself as a high-spending supporter of content creators.
According to reports, Choi had reached level 56 on TikTok’s spending ranking system, which allegedly required at least $70,000 in financial contributions to creators. This ranking system determines user status based on monetary support provided to influencers, with higher levels demanding substantial investments.
Korean entertainment outlets reported that tensions had emerged between Yoon and Choi before the incident, with the influencer seeking to terminate their business arrangement due to his demanding instructions and unreasonable scheduling requirements. CCTV footage from the day before her death captured Choi kneeling before Yoon, apparently pleading with her not to end their partnership.
On September 11, security cameras allegedly captured the critical moments leading to Yoon’s disappearance. Yoon’s mother told reporters that CCTV footage showed her daughter attempting to exit a car at 3:27 p.m. local time, but being forcibly pulled back inside before the door was slammed shut.
Following the incident, witnesses reported seeing Choi with a large suitcase, making eight different stops during his journey toward the mountainous region where Yoon’s body was eventually found. Investigators believe these multiple stops were an attempt to confuse the police investigation and obscure his trail.
When initially arrested, Choi denied the charges against him. However, he later confessed to killing the influencer after learning that her body had been discovered by authorities. The confession came after police confronted him with evidence linking him to the crime scene.
The case has sent shockwaves through South Korea’s influencer community and raised serious concerns about the safety risks facing content creators, particularly regarding relationships with high-spending supporters and business partners. The incident has highlighted the potential dangers that can arise from the platform-based ranking systems that create hierarchies based on financial contributions.
Yoon’s family shared a statement on her TikTok account describing her as someone who “has always been a bright light who loved food, communicated warmly with people and loved her family deeply.” They requested that people honor her memory with kindness and refrain from speculation about the circumstances surrounding her death.
The investigation remains ongoing under the jurisdiction of the North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency. Authorities are reviewing digital records, financial transactions, and additional CCTV footage to determine the complete circumstances surrounding the case.
