"To Prevent Impulse Spending"... BJ Who Refused Refund for 'High-Value Star Balloon' Sent by Middle Schooler Finally Returned It

BJ Side "Sponsor's Family Visited and Refunded Full Amount"
High-Value Payments by Minors Continue
Estimated 3,600 Cases in Last 4 Years by Ministry of Culture
No Refund Obligation for High-Value Payments Without Parental Consent
Government to Amend Telecommunications Business Act

BJ Lallal received a high-priced item worth approximately 1.4 million KRW as a donation from a middle school fan / Photo by Lallal, YouTube broadcast capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] An internet broadcaster who sparked controversy after refusing to refund a high-priced paid item sponsored by a middle school fan has ultimately returned the money. Initially, the broadcaster refused to refund the money, stating that "a stern warning is necessary" because the fan made the high-priced payment without parental consent.

◆BJ Who Received Large Sponsorship from Minor Says "A Stern Warning Is Necessary"

BJ Lallal (real name Lee Yura), active on video streaming sites such as 'Afreeca,' recently visited the family of a middle school fan who sponsored a large amount of paid items and reportedly refunded the entire sponsorship amount.

JDB Entertainment, to which Lallal belongs, released an official statement saying, "Lallal was contacted again by the older sister of the minor viewer who sponsored a large amount on her broadcast, and she visited the local area where the sponsor lives to meet the family," adding, "After understanding the situation, she refunded the entire amount received."

The reason Lallal initially refused to return the money was explained as "to address the impulsive spending of the middle school sponsor and to prevent recurrence of such incidents."

Earlier, on the 3rd, Lallal revealed a note received from the family of a minor fan. According to the note, the minor fan A created an account under her mother's name and sponsored paid items worth several million won to favorite broadcasters. Among these, the amount Lallal received was about 1.4 million won.

At the time, Lallal said, "I can refund the 1.4 million won, but I think this friend needs to learn properly about this," and refused the refund request, hoping it would serve as "a stern warning and a deep experience."

However, opinions were divided among netizens regarding Lallal's decision. Some criticized Lallal, saying "Wasn't it just about wanting the money?" while others defended her, saying, "If the minor's wrong behavior is not corrected now, it could lead to more serious issues later."

◆No Obligation to Refund Even If Large Payment Made Without Parental Consent

The controversy over minors making large sponsorships to internet broadcasters is not new. In November last year, a controversy arose when an elementary school student transferred 103 million won, which was the deposit for a rented house saved by the parents, to a BJ on the live streaming app 'Hakuna Live.' It was reported that the elementary student made the transfer using a bank account linked to the mother's mobile phone.

The logo of the video streaming platform 'Hakuna Live,' which sparked controversy after an elementary school student donated about 100 million won of their parents' jeonse deposit to favorite BJs / Photo by Internet Homepage Capture

Most BJs who received money from this elementary student refunded it. However, since there is no obligation to refund when such incidents occur, one BJ who received about 40 million won at the time refused to refund. Eventually, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) intervened, sending an official letter requesting the company to take refund measures, after which smooth refunds were made.

Incidents of minors sending large amounts to their favorite broadcasters without parental consent continue unabated. According to the Dispute Mediation Committee under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, there have been 3,600 cases related to minor refunds over the past four years.

◆Self-Regulation Is Insufficient... KCC Says "Broadcasting Platforms Must Strengthen Responsibility"

Since 2019, the KCC has established the 'Guidelines on Payment for Paid Sponsorship Items in Internet Personal Broadcasting' and recommended self-regulation by businesses. The guidelines emphasize that businesses should limit the number and amount of paid sponsorship item charges and gifts by users and prevent damage when users make accidental payments.

However, similar problems have continued even after the implementation of self-regulation, prompting the KCC to push for amendments to the Telecommunications Business Act to enable personal broadcasting platforms to effectively prevent user damage.

Regarding this, KCC Chairman Han Sang-hyuk stated, "With the acceleration of the non-face-to-face society due to COVID-19 and the increase in the use of one-person media, the need to strengthen the responsibility of internet personal broadcasting platforms and policies to prevent user damage has grown," emphasizing, "We will create a healthy one-person media usage environment through continuous institutional improvements."

The ongoing institutional improvements include measures such as △setting payment limits for sponsorship items △strengthening protection for minors △operating user protection channels △imposing obligations to prevent illegal transactions on businesses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.