South Korean extra defrauded of 35 million KRW in romance scam involving fake Lee Dong-wook

A South Korean actress in her 30s was defrauded of 35 million KRW after being deceived by a scammer posing as actor Lee Dong-wook for eight months. The perpetrator claimed that a gift worth 700 million KRW was held at customs and requested multiple payments for clearance fees. Lee Dong-wook's agency, King Kong by Starship, issued a warning confirming that their artists never solicit money or personal information through private channels. Romance scams in South Korea have surged, with reported losses reaching 136 billion KRW in 2025.