Rapper DinDin issues apology after promoted company files for bankruptcy

Rapper DinDin issued an apology after Parttimestudy, an AI-based studying application he promoted, abruptly filed for bankruptcy on Monday.

Rapper DinDin waves to cameras en route to the SBS building in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Sept. 2, 2021. [NEWS1]

Rapper DinDin issued an apology after Parttimestudy, an AI-based studying application he promoted, abruptly filed for bankruptcy on Monday.

“I first heard about the incident during a YouTube live broadcast at 7 p.m. yesterday, and immediately began confirming the facts after filming ended,” DinDin said in a statement posted to his Instagram account on Tuesday. “I have not been able to get in touch with the Parttimestudy, and I’ve since learned that most of the victims are students or jobseekers.”

DinDin explained that he believed the campaign to be a well-intentioned project and was able to form trust with the company since similar services were already widely available in the market.

“We were even discussing future content with the company, so it was difficult to foresee such an issue arising,” he said.

The singer said he had been informed that it would be “realistically difficult” to identify and compensate users who joined the platform during his promotional campaign.

"What I can do now is help raise awareness of the victims’ situation and do what I can to be of help," he said. "We are continuing to try to contact Parttimestudy and will do our best to help reach a resolution as quickly as possible.

"I sincerely apologize to anyone who may have suffered harm after trusting me and signing up for the service," DinDin said. "I will do my best to help bring a resolution to the victims."

Mimiminu, a YouTuber specializing in college admissions content with 1.89 million subscribers, who also promoted the app, posted a video apologizing as well.

"I will return all the advertising fees I received, and donate an additional amount to support the victims," he said. "I want to do my part to help those who are suffering sleepless nights and emotional distress as they face what will likely be a difficult battle."

Parttimestudy allowed users to set study goals and deposit up to 200,000 won ($130), with the promise of a reward if they met their goals. News broke Monday that the company had entered bankruptcy proceedings, prompting widespread concerns over user losses.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM EUN-BIN [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]