In the wake of the bankruptcy filing by educational platform PartTimeStudy, numerous victims have emerged, prompting Korean celebrity DinDin to issue an apology. Known for his recent remarks on financial literacy, DinDin has expressed his commitment to aiding those affected.
On the 25th, DinDin took to his social media to state, "My agency released a statement regarding my involvement in the 'PartTimeStudy' campaign from November 10 to 16. I first learned about this incident during a YouTube live session at 7 PM yesterday and immediately sought to verify the facts after filming. I discovered that communication with PartTimeStudy had been severed and that most victims are students or job seekers."
DinDin explained, "The campaign was perceived as a positive initiative, and similar services were already operational in the market. We were even discussing future content with the company, so this outcome was unexpected." He added, "However, I was informed that it is practically impossible to compensate only those who signed up through my campaign from November 10 to 16."
DinDin expressed his intent to help by stating, "I believe the best course of action is to raise awareness of the victims' situations and assist in any way possible." He also advised, "There is a group chat for PartTimeStudy victims. If you are affected and unsure of what to do, please join the chat and register your claims within the app."
DinDin assured, "We are continuously attempting to contact PartTimeStudy and are striving to find a resolution swiftly." He apologized to those who trusted him and were affected, promising, "I am truly sorry and will work towards resolving the victims' issues." He also apologized for the delay in his response due to his schedule.
PartTimeStudy, which DinDin promoted, has caused controversy with its sudden bankruptcy, leaving many victims in its wake. The app offered a service where users could deposit a security fee and receive a refund with additional funds upon meeting study goals. However, refund requests were recently denied, and on the 24th, the company abruptly announced its impending bankruptcy and blocked withdrawals.
Another influencer, MimiMinoo, who has 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube, also participated in promoting the app and has issued an apology video. Given that some users joined because of DinDin and MimiMinoo, both feel a sense of responsibility and guilt over the situation.
Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr