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BJ Ahyeong, a South Korean social media influencer, with 260,000 followers on Instagram, was found dead on the outskirts of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, last week. A prosecutor announced on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, that a Chinese couple was charged with the murder of the South Korean influencer BJ Ahyeong. They were charged after her body was found dumped in a pit on the outskirts of Phnom Pen. The couple was identified as Lai Wenshao, 30, and Cai Huijuan, 39, and it was reported that they run a medical clinic.
Lai and Cai, who were charged on Tuesday with “murder accompanied by torture," reportedly told the authorities that BJ Ahyeong whose birth name is Byun Ah-Yeong died while receiving treatment in their clinic.
Detailing the incident, the couple reportedly told authorities that Ahyeong had visited their clinic on June 4, 2023, for unspecified treatment. While receiving the treatment, the influencer reportedly had a seizure that resulted in her death. The panicked couple then abandoned her body in a pit on the outskirts of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh.
Days after the incident, BJ Ahyeong's remains, which were wrapped in red cloth, were discovered by the locals last week.
While the couple maintained that the influencer died after suffering a seizure, prosecutors have refuted their statement charging the couple with murder accompanied by torture. Authorities have not expounded on the circumstances surrounding the death but have alluded that the victim was tortured before she was murdered by the perpetrators.
On Tuesday, Lim Soo-suk, spokesman for South Korea’s foreign ministry, condoled the death of the influencer calling it an unfortunate incident. Officials added that they are providing the devastated family with the assistance they need during the difficult time.
“The foreign ministry is providing necessary consular assistance to the bereaved family in a timely manner.”
Byun Ah-Yeong aka BJ Ahyeong is a influencer for AfreecaTV
According to South Korean Media, Byun Ah-Yeong, who goes by the name BJ Ahyeong on social media, is a popular influencer for AfreecaTV, a South Korean video streaming service with 260,000 followers on Instagram. BJ is reportedly diminutive for Broadcast Jockey used by influencers in Korea who host live streaming services to viewers.
While the influencer had amassed an impressive number of followers through her IG channel, she announced that she would be stepping away from the spotlight in March 2023, to lead a normal life. At the time she wrote:
"I have liquidated that Vijay. I'm going to live like a normal person for a while, Uploading my sincerity on YouTube after returning to Korea I will post a video. I've heard and seen a lot...Just think Ayoung thinks like this...And I say it all the time but I love communication. Be brave and dm me. I will not read it. Ignore the weird posts instead lol Ayoung's new life in general. Gotta live the hard way."
In a similar incident, earlier this year, Abby Choi, a fashion influencer with 80,000 followers on Instagram, was found dead in a village home in Tai Po, Hong Kong. The 28-year-old was found days after she was reported missing on February 21, 2023.
At the time authorities said that they were searching for Abby Choi's ex-husband after her dismembered body parts, along with a meat slicer, an electric saw, and some clothing, were discovered in a home that was rented by her ex-father-in-law.
