Veteran actress Yoon Mi-ra recalls 'sponsor' offers in Korean entertainment
Veteran actress Yoon Mi-ra has opened up about what she says were once widespread “sponsor” offers in Korea’s entertainment industry, recalling that she repeatedly received proposals from men offering financial support — and that two men once even showed up outside her home. Yoon shared the stories in a video uploaded Thursday to her YouTube channel, titled “I went out for sashimi and ended up…
Veteran actress Yoon Mi-ra has spoken about the "sponsor" offers that were reportedly common in Korea's entertainment industry. In a video posted to her YouTube channel, Yoon recounted receiving multiple proposals from men who offered financial support, even having two individuals show up outside her home. The term "sponsor" is sometimes used in the Korean entertainment industry to refer to arrangements where wealthy or influential individuals provide money, lavish gifts, or other assistance to celebrities in exchange for a personal relationship.
Yoon recalled a time when mobile phones were not yet prevalent and families primarily used landlines at home. "Back then, there were no cellphones, and we had a white telephone at home," she said. "One day, my mother answered the phone, and someone said there was a person who wanted to 'support' me. My mother asked, 'Is my daughter a gisaeng?' and hung up."
A gisaeng refers to a type of entertainer who was traditionally employed by wealthy families in Korea.
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