'Pilates Fraud Allegations' Jungwon Yang Says, "I Will Clarify the Unfair Parts"

Fraud and Violation of the Franchise Business Act

Influencer and former Pilates instructor Jungwon Yang (37), who is implicated in allegations of police investigation interference at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul and a fraud case involving a Pilates studio franchise business, appeared before the police as a suspect.

The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul summoned Yang on the 29th for questioning on charges of fraud and violation of the Franchise Business Act.

Arriving at the police station at around 12:31 p.m. that day, Yang stated, "I will cooperate sincerely with the investigation" and added, "I hope the unfair aspects will be clarified and the truth will come out." She did not respond to questions regarding what she discussed about the investigation with her husband, her involvement with the Pilates company, or which aspects she intended to clarify.

Former Pilates instructor and influencer Yang Jungwon (37) appeared at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul on the 29th as a suspect on charges of fraud and violation of the Franchise Business Act, responding to questions from the press. Photo by Jae-Hyun Park

The case began in July 2024 when franchise owners of a Pilates studio filed criminal complaints against Yang, who had worked as a model for the brand, and the studio’s representative, referred to as Mr. A. At the time, the franchisees claimed that although Yang had promised to dispatch instructors trained at headquarters, instructors recruited through job search websites were assigned instead. The complaint also stated that they were deceived into purchasing Pilates equipment for 62 million won, which Yang claimed was self-developed, even though similar equipment was being sold on the market for 26 million won.

The First Investigation Division at the Gangnam Police Station, which initially handled the case, summoned Yang once as a witness and decided not to refer the case for prosecution, citing insufficient evidence. However, the investigation was reopened when allegations surfaced that Yang’s husband, Mr. Lee, had met with Superintendent B from the National Police Agency and Senior Inspector C from the Gangnam Police Station to request their intervention in the case.

The police plan to conduct a face-to-face interrogation between Yang and the franchise studio representative, Mr. A, on this day.

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