Son Dam-bi and Jung Ryeo-won Entangled in the 'Guryongpo Scandal'

The 'Guryongpo scandal' has spread to the entertainment industry. It has been alleged that actors Son Dam-bi and Jung Ryeo-won received expensive foreign vehicles and luxury goods from the so-called 'fake fishery merchant in Pohang' who was arrested on suspicion of fraud worth 10 billion won. The two actors denied it, but attention is drawn to the background of the rumor.

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Some media reported on the 28th that Son Dam-bi received foreign vehicles and luxury goods when she got to know Kim, known as the 'fake fisherman', while filming the KBS 2TV drama "When the Camellia Blooms" in Guryongpo, Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province in 2019. The reports also wrote that Kim paid back the 50 million won she borrowed from Jung Ryeo-won. Some claimed that Jung Ryeo-won met Kim through Son Dam-bi and received a foreign car as a gift.

Son Dam-bi and Jung Ryeo-won denied it. Son Dam-bi said, "At that time, Kim approached me first as a fan on a filming site", adding, "Since then, Kim has tried giving expensive gifts but I've returned all the gifts and cash". Jung Ryeo-won also disclosed the details of the deposit, saying, "I bought a used car from his brother because Kim said he was capable of getting me a model that I'd been interested in".

Kim was arrested in March this year on charges of fraud, stealing 11.6 billion won from investors from June 2018 to January this year, claiming that he was running a squid business. Police are investigating the circumstances in which he gave money and valuables Lee Dong-hoon, a former Chosun Ilbo editor who was a spokesman for the presidential camp of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, an anchor of TV Chosun reporter Jung, a reporter Lee from JoongAng Ilbo, and current senior prosecutor. In the process, suspicions were raised in July that Kim 'gave money and valuables to some celebrities', and some facts were revealed.

This incident points out the reality that some celebrities are vulnerable to fandom. An official said on the 29th, "We can't always be wary of fans who show affection", adding, "But it's not easy to understand receiving huge gifts such as foreign cars". Another official pointed out the limitations of celebrity fandom management, saying, "While idol stars have a fandom that works systematically, actors have no choice but to rely on general preferences through their works".