Korean Influencer Found Dead on Mountainside After Alleged Dispute with ‘Big Spending VIP’ Who Lived a Double Life By Latoya Gayle

A Korean influencer was found dead on a mountainside after her final livestream.

Yoon Ji-ah was reportedly covered in bruises and signs of strangulation when she was found unresponsive on a mountain in Muju County, North Jeolla Province on Thursday, Sept. 11, according to local outlets The JoongAng, The Chosun Daily and Chosun Biz.

Authorities believe that the TikToker was attacked 30 minutes after her final livestream ended. She had been filming in Yeongjong Island, Incheon, which is over three hours away from where she was found, per The JoongAng.

The suspect in her murder has been identified as a man in his 50s named Choi, whose story was detailed on the Seoul Broadcasting System’s Curious Story Y program, which aired on Friday, Oct. 3.

Choi was allegedly living a double life when he introduced himself to Yoon Ji-ah as the CEO of an IT company, per The Chosun Daily. Having become known as a “big spending VIP” on video platforms where he used the nickname “Black Cat,” he convinced her to become business partners.

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According to The JoongAng, Choi “was ranked 46 out of 50” on TikTok, with an industry insider claiming that in order to reach that level, “you need at least 100 million won.” However, he was allegedly in debt and his house had been seized through a forced auction. 

The influencer, who was in her 20s and had garnered over 300,000 followers on TikTok, allegedly wanted to cut ties with Choi due to his coercive instructions and unreasonable scheduling, according to the reports.  

Choi was caught on security footage before Yoon Ji-ah’s death, allegedly begging on his knees for her not to terminate their partnership. 

Per Chosun Biz, the influencer’s grieving family claim that cameras captured Yoon Ji-ah being “forcibly” prevented from exiting a car at around 3:27 p.m. local time on Sept. 11. The door of the vehicle was then slammed shut.

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Yoon Ji-ah’s body was later found abandoned in a grassy field on the mountain in Muju County, with an autopsy report determining her cause of death was asphyxiation due to neck compression, The Chosun Daily reported.

Per the outlet, Choi had been seen around the time of her disappearance with a suitcase heading towards the mountain. He allegedly stopped eight times before his arrival, hoping to confuse the police’s investigation.

Choi allegedly denied the charges against him when arrested on Sept. 13, but later confessed to the crimes after learning Yoon Ji-ah’s body had been found, per The Chosun Daily and Chosun Biz.

PEOPLE reached out to the Korean National Police Agency for more information on Oct. 6.