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Actor Shin Ae-ra denounces fake online rumors of her death

Published: 15 Jun. 2025, 12:46 Updated: 15 Jun. 2025, 17:23

Actor Shin Ae-ra [JOONGANG ILBO]

Korean actor Shin Ae-ra publicly denounced false online rumors about her death on Friday, describing them as “absurd” and “horrifying,” and urged the public not to fall for unverified claims.

In a video posted to Instagram on Saturday, the 55-year-old actor addressed the rumors directly.

“I’m alive and well,” she said in the video, filmed during a volunteer visit to a child welfare facility. “I’m not dead.”

Shin said she was informed of the hoax by a fellow volunteer, who had received a call the previous day in tears, asking whether the news of her death was true.

“Why post such baseless news?” she said. “What do people gain from spreading something so terrible?”

Shin, best known for her television and philanthropic work, criticized the proliferation of similar false reports targeting public figures.

A screen capture of a short video clip Shin posted on June 14, informing her fans that she's ″alive and well″ as fake news about her death began spreading online since June 13. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

“If you look on YouTube, many celebrities are said to have died,” she said. “If you see that kind of news, search their name on a major portal. Unless it’s reported by a credible media outlet, it’s fake. Please don’t believe it.”

This is not the first time Shin has been targeted by fabricated content. In March, a manipulated deepfake video falsely claimed she had been arrested. At the time, she warned the public against such misinformation and announced plans for legal action.

Under Korean law, the dissemination of false information with the intent to defame is a criminal offense. According to the Information and Communications Network Act, individuals found guilty of spreading defamatory falsehoods online may face up to seven years in prison, 10 years of professional license suspension or a fine of up to 50 million won ($36,529).

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]