Who Is Yoo Hye-won? Kim Ji-min Criminal Complaint Explained

Yoo Hye-won is a South Korean influencer and former actress who filed a criminal complaint against Heart Signal 4 personality Kim Ji-min in August 2026 over an allegedly false social-media rumor about Yoo’s private life. Yoo’s attorneys say Kim posted a claim suggesting that Yoo was dating a basketball player while simultaneously receiving financial support from a famous singer and producer. Yoo says the allegation is false and that she and Kim do not personally know one another. The complaint, filed with Seoul’s Gangnam Police Station, accuses Kim of online defamation. Yoo’s lawyers say they also intend to investigate where Kim obtained the information and may pursue a civil damages claim depending on the criminal investigation.

Who Is Yoo Hye-won?

Yoo Hye-won Is A South Korean Influencer And Former Actress. Yoo appeared in the 2018 web drama Go, Back Diary before becoming better known as an influencer and model. She later appeared on Mnet’s dating program Couple Palace 2. [Star News]

Yoo Has Previously Attracted Attention For Her Personal Life. Before the 2026 dispute with Kim Ji-min, Yoo received significant entertainment-media coverage over reports linking her romantically with former BIGBANG member Seungri. Those earlier stories are separate from the allegations at the center of the current criminal complaint.

Kim Ji-min’s Private Social-Media Posts Leak

The Controversy Began After Posts From Kim Ji-min’s Private Instagram Circulated Online. Kim, who became known through Channel A’s dating program Heart Signal 4, had shared posts with a limited “close friends” audience. Screenshots were later leaked and spread through online communities in June 2026. [Sports Kyunghyang]

The Leaked Material Contained Personal Claims About Other Public Figures. Reporting on the posts said they included political commentary, remarks about Kim’s family and pets, and unverified rumors involving celebrities and reality-show personalities. Some of the most serious controversy concerned alleged “sponsor” relationships involving women in the entertainment industry. [Sports Kyunghyang]

The Yoo Hye-won Sponsor Rumor

One Post Allegedly Claimed Yoo Was Dating A Basketball Player While Receiving Support From A Famous Singer And Producer. According to the portion of Yoo’s criminal complaint made public by her attorneys, Kim posted content suggesting that Yoo was romantically involved with a basketball player while also receiving what Korean reporting described as “spon” from a famous singer and producer. [Sports Kyunghyang] [iMBC]

The Term “Spon” Carries A More Serious Implication Than Ordinary Sponsorship. In the context of the Korean entertainment rumor described by Sports Kyunghyang, the term referred to alleged financial support connected with a sexual relationship rather than an ordinary advertising or commercial sponsorship. Yoo categorically denies the allegation. [Sports Kyunghyang]

Yoo’s Attorneys Say The Claim Is False. Yoo’s legal team alleges that Kim publicly communicated false information about Yoo through an information network and thereby damaged her reputation. That is the basis of Yoo’s criminal complaint; no court has yet ruled on whether Kim committed defamation. [iMBC]

Yoo Says She Does Not Know Kim Ji-min

Yoo’s Attorneys Say Yoo And Kim Are Strangers. Law firm Daeryeon said the two women do not know one another and have no separate relationship, making the specificity of the private-life allegations particularly concerning to Yoo. [Hankook Ilbo]

Yoo Wants Investigators To Determine Where The Story Came From. Her lawyers said the case is intended not only to address the publication of the rumor but also to establish when Kim received the information, who supplied it, how it was transmitted and whether Kim had any reasonable basis to believe it was true. [iMBC]

Her Attorneys Also Want To Know Whether Kim Attempted To Verify The Claim Before Posting It. The law firm specifically identified Kim’s fact-checking process as an issue that should be examined during the investigation. [iMBC]

Yoo Files A Criminal Complaint

Yoo Filed The Complaint With Gangnam Police Station. Her legal team disclosed part of a complaint accusing Kim of violating South Korean law concerning online defamation through information and communications networks. [iMBC]

Yoo Is Seeking Criminal Accountability For The Allegedly False Statement. Her attorneys said Kim presented false information concerning Yoo in a manner capable of identifying her and damaging her reputation. They asked authorities to investigate and impose appropriate punishment if the allegation is established. [Sports Kyunghyang]

The Complaint Does Not Mean Kim Has Been Found Guilty. The filing initiates a criminal-investigation process. Police and prosecutors must still examine the evidence, and there has been no court finding that Kim committed criminal defamation.

Yoo May Also Seek Damages

Yoo’s Attorneys Say A Civil Lawsuit Could Follow The Criminal Case. Daeryeon said it plans to pursue the criminal complaint first and could subsequently file a damages claim depending on the investigation’s outcome. [Hankook Ilbo]

The Legal Threat Extends Beyond Kim Ji-min. Yoo’s lawyers warned that they are monitoring people who repeat, alter or expand the disputed allegations online. They said further legal action could be taken against users who present unverified material as fact, combine it with additional false claims or use it to ridicule or attack Yoo. [iMBC]

Yoo Initially Avoided A Direct Public Fight

Yoo Did Not Immediately File A Complaint When The Posts First Circulated. Her legal team said she had generally avoided responding individually to rumors and speculation about her personal life and instead monitored the situation while considering her options. [Hankook Ilbo]

Yoo Appeared To Respond Indirectly In June. After Kim’s private posts leaked, Yoo shared a clip of rapper Swings discussing not wanting to become exhausted by situations outside his control. Korean entertainment reporting interpreted the timing as a possible indirect reaction to the controversy, although Yoo did not explicitly identify Kim in the post. [Star News]

Her Attorneys Say Continued Spread Of The Claims Ultimately Prompted Legal Action. They said the material had moved beyond ordinary celebrity gossip into specific claims about Yoo’s private life capable of damaging her public reputation and social standing. [Hankook Ilbo]

Kim Ji-min Apologizes Over The Leaked Posts

Kim Issued A Public Apology On June 6. After the private Instagram material spread online, Kim apologized for causing concern and acknowledged that some of the circulating posts had been written by her. [Sports Kyunghyang]

Kim Said Not Everything In The Leaked Material Was Written By Her. She said some material had already existed elsewhere and had been included when information was shared or forwarded, while other content had lost its original context when screenshots were leaked. [Sports Kyunghyang]

Kim Specifically Apologized To Park Hee-seon Over A Separate Sponsor Rumor. Kim acknowledged sharing an image containing an unverified rumor about Single’s Inferno 5 participant Park Hee-seon and apologized to Park, her representatives and fans. [Sports Kyunghyang]

Kim Also Apologized More Generally To Other Artists She Had Mentioned. Her statement said she was sorry to other public figures who experienced discomfort because of her careless comments. Korean reporting later cited that broader apology in connection with Yoo’s controversy. [Hankook Ilbo]

Kim Did Not Specifically Admit That The Yoo Hye-won Allegation Was True. Her apology acknowledged careless discussion of unverified material but did not establish the truth of the claim about Yoo. Yoo’s subsequent criminal complaint expressly alleges that the claim was false.

Kim Says Her Private Posts Were Leaked Without Permission

Kim Said The Posts Had Been Shared Only With A Small Group Of People. She maintained that the material came from a restricted private Instagram space rather than posts intentionally released to the general public. [Sports Kyunghyang]

Kim Objected To The Unauthorized Leak And Reposting Of The Material. She said the dissemination of private screenshots had affected her family and people around her and indicated that she was considering legal action over unauthorized leaks and distorted reposting. [Sports Kyunghyang]

The Private Nature Of The Original Post Does Not Resolve Yoo’s Defamation Complaint. Yoo’s legal argument concerns Kim’s alleged creation and communication of false information about her. Whether the original Instagram audience was limited and whether later users improperly leaked the screenshots are separate legal questions.

Park Hee-seon Was Also Named In The Leaked Rumors

Another Sponsor Rumor In Kim’s Posts Involved Park Hee-seon. Park, who appeared on Netflix’s Single’s Inferno 5, publicly denied allegations about her after Kim’s leaked posts revived a rumor involving her. [Money Today]

Park Said The Rumor About Her Had Already Been Investigated As False. Park said she filed a criminal complaint against an anonymous online user in January 2026 and that a suspect was booked and referred to prosecutors in April. She described the allegations as clearly false. [Money Today]

Park Threatened Further Legal Action Against People Repeating The Claim. She said her legal team was monitoring the continued distribution of the rumor and would act against people responsible for further unlawful dissemination. [Newsis]

Why The Criminal Complaint Matters

The Case Could Reveal The Original Source Of The Yoo Hye-won Rumor. Yoo’s lawyers have made clear that they want investigators to examine not only Kim’s post but the chain through which the allegation reached her. That could determine whether Kim originated the claim, repeated information from another source or reposted existing gossip. [iMBC]

The Investigation Could Also Examine What Kim Knew Before Posting. Yoo’s attorneys say investigators should determine whether Kim had evidence supporting the allegation and whether she took any steps to verify it before communicating it to others. [iMBC]

The Truth Of The Sponsor Allegation Has Not Been Established. Yoo says it is false. Kim’s leaked post contained the allegation, but no credible evidence reviewed for this page establishes that Yoo received the alleged financial support or maintained the alleged relationship with the unnamed singer and producer.

What Has And Has Not Been Established

It Is Confirmed That Yoo Filed A Criminal Complaint Against Kim Ji-min. Yoo’s lawyers disclosed that the complaint was filed with Gangnam Police Station and released part of the filing publicly. [iMBC]

It Is Confirmed That The Disputed Post Concerned Yoo’s Dating Life And An Alleged Sponsor. Korean reporting based on the complaint says the post suggested that Yoo was dating a basketball player while receiving support from a famous singer and producer. [Sports Kyunghyang]

Yoo Says The Allegation Is False. That denial is the core factual assertion underlying her defamation complaint. [iMBC]

Yoo And Kim Say They Do Not Know One Another. Yoo’s legal representatives say the women are strangers and have no independent relationship. [Hankook Ilbo]

Kim Has Not Been Convicted Of Defaming Yoo. The matter is at the criminal-complaint and investigation stage, and the filing itself does not establish guilt.

No Evidence Has Publicly Established The Sponsor Rumor As True. The available reporting documents the rumor, Yoo’s denial and the resulting criminal complaint rather than evidence proving the underlying allegation.