K-pop star claims she was offered money for sex

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Jisoo /Courtesy of Dream Star Entertainment

A K-pop girl group member has claimed that she was offered sponsorship in return for sex.

On her Instagram account, Jisoo of K-pop girl group Tahiti shared a barrage of messages Tuesday from an unidentified man who promised high pay if she would date one of his customers.

The man identified himself as a “sponsorship broker” of a social club. In rumors about the entertainment sector, such a broker would connect girls, usually unknown singers or actresses, with a “sponsor,” or sugar daddy.

He told Jisoo via social media, “Are you interested in a well-paid part-time job? We will pay you by the hour. You may receive 600,000 to 2 million won on average per date.”

Receiving no response from her, he sent another message that read, “One of my customers who is in his mid-20s is a huge fan of yours. We guarantee absolute secrecy. Just for one customer.”

As she did not respond, he sent another message to say, “Just once or twice, and we will pay more than other brokers. Four million won?”

Jisoo disclosed these messages along with a comment: “Your messages have made me very upset. You have sent these kinds of messages multiple times. Stop it. I feel sick.”

An official of Jisoo’s agency, Dream Star Entertainment, said that they will request a police investigation once Tahiti comes back from its Japan tour.

Jisoo’s father is a chief detective on the police force.

Such sponsorship deals in the entertainment sector often lead to rumors, but the full truth is rarely found. In 2009, actress Jang Ja-yeon committed suicide, leaving a note in which she claimed she was coerced into having drinks and sex with media and business moguls. The note led prosecutors to launch a large-scale investigation into the figures allegedly involved, but they failed to find concrete evidence and closed the case.