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Korean Actress Cha Young-ok Opens Up About Fraud and Heartbreak

On the October 30th episode of MBN's 'Special World', Cha Young-ok, a veteran actress with a 31-year career, shared her story. Born in 1960, Cha has been known for her roles as a wealthy woman, often being cast as a 'madam'. She lamented, "People think my real life is like the roles I play because I often portray rich characters. It used to be like that, but meeting one person completely ruined me."
After living in seclusion for four years, Cha is currently working part-time at a barbecue restaurant run by her younger brother. Seven years ago, she met a man at a gathering and began a late-blooming romance. Despite her siblings' objections, she was deeply in love and even promised to marry him, but it ended in betrayal. Cha confessed, "Unlike others who date in their 20s, I didn't have that experience because my father was strict. When I finally dated, it felt like my loneliness was being washed away. I was so blinded by love that I couldn't see clearly."







Without suspicion, Cha lent him the money and ended up losing her entire fortune of over 600 million won. After the fraud, she lived in seclusion. Currently, Cha resides alone on the second floor of a small commercial building left by her father to her brother, where her brother's barbecue restaurant is located. Cha shared, "I haven't bought clothes in about five years. When I had money, I didn't feel hungry or want to buy clothes, but now I do. I can't spend 70% of the time, and I don't spend 30%."
Cha has been pursuing legal action since October 2019, over five years now. She explained, "From December 2017 to January 2018, I lent him 200 million won. He said he needed it for a villa project in Jeju Island and that he would soon receive billions. To get back the initial 200 million, I lent him another 200 million. At that time, I still had a small apartment and some real estate, but they all disappeared. I paid a huge amount in interest. Including that, it amounts to about 600 million won."
Cha's drawer is filled with medications like antithrombotics and antidepressants. She revealed, "I couldn't eat and just cried, which must have built up stress. I suffered a retinal hemorrhage. It could have been a brain hemorrhage, but it was a retinal hemorrhage instead," she said, "My life, which I had built up until now, was completely destroyed."
The lawsuit was prolonged because Cha withdrew it in 2019, believing the man's promise to repay. When he didn't keep his promise, she filed the lawsuit again in 2021.
The man even used his relationship with Cha to borrow money from others. Cha expressed her anger, "He thoroughly used me from head to toe and left me with nothing but a shell." She continued, "This is the first time in my life I've felt such betrayal. It's not just deception; he completely devastated my body and mind, taking all my assets. It's like he sucked me dry. I'm ashamed. I can't express in words how deceived I've been," she sobbed.
Cha also has a debt of 100 million won. She said, "I borrowed from an acquaintance to give him 200 million, and I still owe 100 million."
Despite everything, Cha is determined to start anew. Preparing to become a senior model, she stated, "I have to try everything and challenge myself. I can't just lie down. It makes a person too desolate," she said, "I will strive to live happier than those who made me sad."
Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr