Former girl group YPDA member Jo Yu Jeong, who also appeared on MBC‘s idol survival program, My Teenage Girl, shared the shocking story of her escape after being kidnapped by her manager.
The former idol-turned-Afreeca-streamer detailed the event in a post online.
Jo Yu Jeong’s detailed post. | theqoo
Hello, this is Jo Yu Jeong. I know many people were worried so I am here to update everyone after pulling myself together. I’ve received a lot of calls from reporters, but my family and I do not want this publicized, so please stop contacting me.
On April 14, I was kidnapped, confined, received death threats, robbed and assaulted, and experienced something that has scarred me forever.
First, since many are curious, I will explain who the culprit is.
Afreeca ID: Minyoung
Government name: Go *** Joon (I was told I cannot reveal the full name even if they are a criminal.)
This was someone who received monthly payments from me since last year for reporting news of public interest and important matters, monitoring broadcasts, checking assignments, etc.
The police did not tell me their age or any other details, so I don’t know.
— Jo Yu Jeong
She then revealed a very detailed recollection of the incident.
Jo Yu Jeong’s detailed post. | theqoo
Method of crime:
On Sunday, April 14, I arrived at work. Manager A, who had been helping me since last year, contacted me saying they were in front of the office and had a present for me from an acquaintance who had opened a new store. Since I trusted Manager A and it was in front of the office, I went down to greet them.
They gave me a pen and asked for my autograph. When I asked where to sign, they said to sign the shirt covering the car seat. After seeing that other famous streamers had also signed the shirt, I started to sign as well. But as I was signing, they covered my nose and mouth and pushed me inside the van while cursing and assaulting me.
Even after I begged for them to set me free, they pulled out a knife and said they would stab me to death. They kept telling me to not lie, and that even if they killed me, they would only be in jail for seven years. They also asked, ‘You know BJ –, right? They’re being sexually assaulted by my dongsaengs rigth now because they were caught lying,’ and threatened to do the same to me. They then dragged me to the trunk, tied my arms and legs, locked me in, and kidnapped me.
When I asked why they were doing this, they said it was because I had been condescending toward them and the viewers. This happened the day after payday. On payday, they complained that I didn’t pay them enough, and although there were some altercations, I thought we had resolved everything.
They then took my phone and asked where the company and family group chats were, and I told them the chatrooms were all in my KakaoTalk. (I confirmed that at this point, they had messaged Manager Chun saying, ‘I think I’m going to be a bit late because of my dad, please ask for their understanding.’ They also messaged my family saying, ‘I won’t be going in to work today because something good happened.’)
— Jo Yu Jeong
Jo Yu Jeong’s detailed post. | theqoo
Afterward, I asked if I could at least go to work. I told them that I would give them whatever they wanted. I said it would be strange if someone who does live broadcasting suddenly disappeared. I begged for them to at least let me go to work.
A few minutes later, a call came from Manager Chun. They put a knife on me and said that if I picked up the phone with a trembling voice, they would kill me. They instructed me to tell Manager Chun that I would be there soon after talking to my dad.
Manager Chun, who felt that my voice and KakaoTalk messages were strange, called my dad and asked if anything was wrong. When my dad said nothing was wrong, Manager Chun reported it to the police.
The police called me many times, and Manager A picked up the phone and lied that they were my boyfriend, that we were currently talking it out after a fight, and that they would send me home soon. The police believed them and just kept calling without taking any further action.
I could hear Manager Chun cursing and yelling at the police through the phone. Then, because the police kept calling, they transferred my money into their account and turned off my phone. They said they would let me go if I stayed quiet and waited.
— Jo Yu Jeong
After finally escaping, she apologized for causing concern and that she would return after the culprit was caught.
Jo Yu Jeong’s detailed post. | theqoo
How I escaped:
I waited about 10-15 minutes, and when they didn’t return, I thought to myself, ‘If I don’t get out now, I could die.’ I tried my best and removed the rope tied on my hands and feet. I crawled over to the front of the car, and tried to open the sliding door. When it didn’t open, I moved over to the driver’s seat and escaped through the door. As soon as I got out, I ran into a hair salon I saw right in front and asked them for help. They called the police and officers from the station that had been calling were dispatched to come get me.
We believe this was planned with a financial motive, based on the events. The criminal is still on the run and has not been caught yet. I am hospitalized with a nasal silicone fracture letting air enter between the bones, as well as other facial injuries, pain, and ruptured wrist ligaments.
The investigation is ongoing, and the culprit has not been caught yet, so please understand that I cannot release any more details. It is a very difficult situation, both physically and mentally, so I won’t be able to do live broadcasts until they are caught. I will recover and return as soon as possible. I’m sorry for causing concern.
— Jo Yu Jeong
She also updated her Afreeca page with a message thanking everyone for the support.
| Afreeca TV
I think my post got deleted by the operator because it violated Afreeca regulations. I will recover quickly and return soon. Thank you for your concern!
— Jo Yu Jeong
One netizen also shared details from Manager Chun during a broadcast.
| theqoo
Manager Chun later stated in a broadcast that the police checked the CCTV footage of the office building and went around in the police car to look for her. When talking to the culprit, the police pretended not to be chasing them so that they wouldn’t get triggered and act out. The police officers who came after the hair salon reported the incident were the same officers that were driving around to try and find her.
— Netizen Comment
Just four days later on April 18, Manager Chun was arrested. Further details about this incident were not released to the public.