Pilates instructor Yang Jeong-won spoke out directly by naming real people in connection with the "well-known influencer fraud case."
On the 28th, a media outlet released an interview it conducted with Yang Jeong-won, who has been identified as a party to the "well-known influencer fraud case."
In the interview, Yang Jeong-won said, "I only signed a 'model' contract with the Pilates studio and was not involved at all in operating the franchise business," and said, "I hardly know anything about matters related to my husband."
Yang Jeong-won explained, "I am currently caught between disputes between the Pilates franchisor and franchisees," and said, "I will faithfully cooperate with the investigation so that responsibility for the dispute can be determined, and I will actively clarify the facts."
Earlier, according to the police, the Seoul Gangnam Police Station received multiple complaints alleging fraud and violations of the franchise business law and has been investigating Yang Jeong-won and officials from the Pilates franchise headquarters since late July 2024. Franchisees reportedly claimed that the contractual promise that Yang Jeong-won and the headquarters would send instructors directly trained by the headquarters to the franchises to operate them in a directly managed manner and share know-how was not honored.
In this regard, Yang Jeong-won's agency said it only handled an image rights contract as a promotional model and did not know the business details, and Yang Jeong-won herself corrected the facts about being named in the fraud case, saying, "I am not a business participant in the Pilates franchise business in question but only have a simple image rights use contract as an advertising model."
Subsequently, the police, after questioning her once as a reference witness, decided in December of the same year not to prosecute her on the grounds of 'no charges,' but allegations of investigation cover-up emerged during this process.
Prosecutors are currently continuing their investigation after finding indications that Yang Jeong-won's husband intervened in the police investigation. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office Joint Investigation Unit for Financial and securities Crimes is suspecting that Yang Jeong-won's husband contacted police officials, provided money and entertainment, and may have received investigation information.
Yang Jeong-won said, "I do not know exactly what specific activities my husband carried out in relation to the investigation. My husband will also faithfully participate in the remaining investigation and trial procedures," and added, "I apologize for causing concern with this unfortunate matter. Because the burden from inaccurate speculative reporting is great, I ask for generous consideration."
Meanwhile, Yang Jeong-won married a non-celebrity man in 2023 and gave birth to a son that December.
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