Korean celebrities are speaking out about being inundated with messages from strangers asking to borrow money.
Broadcaster Jang Sung-kyu recently shared on social media a direct message he had received from an anonymous user.
The sender said they had lost their job and urgently needed 2 million won ($1,310) due to financial hardship.
"One of the most common DMs I get is people asking to borrow money," Jang said in a comment. "I feel sorry every time I have to say no. Please don't be hurt — I sincerely hope each of you finds a way through your difficult situation. I'm sorry I can't offer more practical help."
In March, Jang had also disclosed that he received a DM from someone claiming to be a victim of voice phishing fraud and asking to borrow 5 million won ($3,270), which he declined.
At the time, he said his policy was not to provide financial assistance to individuals facing personal hardship. He announced he had donated 5 million won — equivalent to the amount requested — to the pediatric cancer ward at Yonsei University Medical Center as a form of social contribution.
Jang is not alone. Broadcaster Noh Hong-chul, during a session with subscribers on his YouTube channel last month, was asked how many people contact him or show up in person each day asking to borrow money. "People asking for loans send me DMs many times more often than I eat meals, and some even come to find me in person," he said. "On busy days it's consistently double digits, and even on slow days it's never zero — always at least single digits." He added that the people making such requests "explain their difficult circumstances very politely and lay out exactly why they need to borrow the money."
Comedian Jo Hye-ryun said in a YouTube video last year that she still receives several DMs a day from people who open by saying they are fans and were deeply moved by her work, only to end with a request to borrow money. "The amounts range from a few million won to tens of millions of won," she said. "At first I actually helped a little, but I realized that wasn't right." Fellow comedian Lee Gyeong-sil, appearing in the same video, said she had had the same experience. "They say just save me this once — so I did help someone in the past," she said, adding, "It seems like there are people out there who try to take advantage of celebrities."
paq@heraldcorp.com
