Veteran Actress Kim Young-ok Reveals She Was Scammed Out of Life Savings

Veteran actress Kim Young-ok has bravely shared a painful past experience of being defrauded, sparking concern among fans.

In a YouTube video titled ‘Stories from Life Mentors, from the Korean War to Scams… Tears Finally Fall (ft. Sa Mi-ja)’ released on the 29th, Kim Young-ok opened up about a past incident.

She recounted how an old acquaintance scammed her, stating, “I lost 500,000 won back then.” This amount, equivalent to approximately 1 billion won in today’s currency, shocked viewers.

Kim recalled, “We went to elementary school together, and she said she was starting a business. I trusted her because she was kind and gentle, and our parents knew each other too.” She continued, “We met on a tram, and she asked me to invest if I had money, saying she was in the lacquered-ware business.”

“I didn’t have a lot of money, but I sold bracelets and gathered savings to make 500,000 won. It was enough for a deposit on a rental apartment,” she explained, adding, “I was ruined. I thought I had lost everything.”

Netizens expressed deep sympathy for Kim Young-ok's confession. Comments included, “500,000 won is like 1 billion won today – how devastating that must have been,” “That friend was terrible,” and “It’s heartwarming to see you overcoming it and still active now.”