Actor Lee Dong Wook has been drawn into a reported romance-scam case after a woman said she believed she had spent more than a year in a romantic relationship with a person posing as the actor. According to an SBS report described by Koreaboo, the woman said she communicated with someone she believed was Lee Dong Wook, received images that appeared to have been created or altered using AI, and sent approximately 35 million Korean won over the course of the relationship.

The important detail is what the report does not establish: it does not show that the real Lee Dong Wook had a romantic relationship with the woman. The reported relationship was with an alleged impersonator. That distinction becomes even clearer because King Kong by STARSHIP, Lee Dong Wook's agency, issued an official warning on September 16 stating that its artists do not request money, personal information or valuables through personal messaging apps or social-media accounts. The agency also specifically warned about people approaching fans privately under the pretext of arranging VIP fan meetings.

So, what first sounds like a celebrity dating story is actually a celebrity-impersonation and fraud warning.

Key Details

The agency's warning is the most important verified development because it gives fans a direct rule for checking suspicious approaches: money requests through personal messages or social media are not legitimate artist communication.

Official Statement From King Kong by STARSHIP

King Kong by STARSHIP said on September 16 that it had received reports involving impersonation of its artists through personal messengers and SNS accounts. The agency stated that its artists do not request money, payment, personal information or other valuables through those channels. It also said that private approaches asking for money in connection with a VIP fan meeting are not genuine.

The company further instructed people who receive suspicious messages not to respond and to report suspected impersonation accounts to its official email address, kingkongfanclub@starship-ent.com. The statement said the company would continue monitoring impersonation accounts and work to protect its artists' rights.

That wording matters because the agency was not merely addressing a rumor about Lee Dong Wook's private life. It was warning about a specific fraud pattern: someone using an artist's identity in direct online contact and asking fans for money or other valuable information.

What We Know So Far

The reported victim's story, as summarized from the SBS report, follows a pattern familiar in romance scams. She believed that the person contacting her was the actor and said the relationship continued for more than a year. She reportedly described conversations about meeting families and a future together, while also saying she sent money to the person on multiple occasions.

Koreaboo's account of the SBS report says the woman ultimately believed she had transferred approximately KRW 35 million, including money taken from savings and funds intended for living expenses. These figures should remain attributed to her account rather than being described as an independently verified financial loss.

The report also said that images shown to her appeared to be AI-generated. In a case involving online impersonation, that is significant because modern fraud does not always depend on obviously fake photographs or poorly written messages. Technology can make an impostor look more convincing, which is precisely why Korean government agencies have urged consumers to be careful with identity verification conducted only through online conversations, voices or videos.

Timeline

Before 2026 - Lee Dong Wook's agency had already dealt with impersonation problems. His official website contains a March 10, 2020 notice warning fans about accounts impersonating the actor and stressing that people should not send money, valuables or personal information through unofficial accounts.

September 16, 2026 - King Kong by STARSHIP issued a new warning about impersonation of its artists through personal messaging and social-media accounts. The warning specifically addressed fake VIP fan-meeting approaches and financial demands.

September 16, 2026 - An SBS report, as described by Koreaboo, featured a woman who said she had believed she was dating a famous actor and had lost roughly KRW 35 million to the person she believed was Lee Dong Wook.

September 17, 2026 - The story circulated internationally, increasing the need to distinguish the alleged impersonator from the real actor.

Why This Matters

Celebrity impersonation scams work because the scammer is not selling only a fake identity. The person is often selling trust.

A famous actor's name can instantly create a sense of familiarity. A direct message that appears to come from a celebrity may feel more personal than an ordinary fraud attempt. Add affectionate language, claims about private meetings, photographs and an invitation to a supposedly exclusive event, and the target may feel that the interaction is genuine long before money enters the conversation.

That is why King Kong by STARSHIP's warning is more important than the romance angle itself. The company provides a simple verification principle: official fan meetings are announced through the agency's official channels, and artists do not privately ask fans for money or personal information.

This is also consistent with broader government guidance in South Korea. In April 2024, the Korea Communications Commission warned about celebrity-impersonation romance scams, describing a pattern in which emotional closeness is established before money is requested for reasons such as travel, investment or meetings. The same guidance cautioned users about deepfakes and suspicious apps or links.

In July 2026, Korean government material based on police anti-scam efforts again listed romance-based fraud among newer scam patterns and advised people to stop communication when investment, side-income or relationship-based requests appear suspicious.

Previous Context: Lee Dong Wook Has Been Targeted Before

This is not the first time an impersonation problem involving Lee Dong Wook has been documented.

His official website contains a dedicated “Urgent notice on impersonation of an actor Lee Dong Wook” dated March 10, 2020. The agency warned that fake personal messenger and social-media accounts were being used and said Lee Dong Wook did not use personal messaging accounts beyond his official channels at that time.

The older notice also warned fans against sending money, valuables or personal information to supposed Lee Dong Wook accounts. The existence of that notice is useful context for understanding why the agency's 2026 warning is direct and specific: identity misuse has been a recurring risk around celebrity communication for years.

There is another relevant development in Lee Dong Wook's privacy history. In October 2025, his agency warned against stalking and privacy violations involving unofficial schedules, residence visits and attempts to obtain or use flight information. That earlier warning concerned physical privacy rather than romance scams, but it shows the agency has repeatedly emphasized boundaries between the actor's public career and unauthorized access to his private life.

What Is Confirmed vs. Unconfirmed

Confirmed

King Kong by STARSHIP confirmed that impersonation reports involving its artists have been received. The agency said its artists do not request money, personal information or valuables through personal messaging or SNS accounts. It also confirmed that fake VIP fan-meeting approaches involving private monetary requests are not legitimate.

Lee Dong Wook's official website also confirms that the agency has previously issued impersonation warnings concerning him.

Reported

An SBS report, as summarized by Koreaboo, said a woman in her 30s believed she had been in a relationship with a person posing as Lee Dong Wook for more than a year. She reportedly said she transferred around KRW 35 million and received images that appeared AI-generated.

Not Confirmed

There is no verified evidence in the sources reviewed that the real Lee Dong Wook personally communicated romantically with the woman or received the money.

The identity of the person behind the alleged impersonation has not been established by the sources reviewed.

There is also no confirmed police statement in the material reviewed establishing an arrest, prosecution or final legal outcome arising from this particular case.

The Larger Issue: Celebrity Identity Is Becoming a Fraud Tool

The Lee Dong Wook case sits within a much wider problem. South Korean authorities have warned that criminals can misuse celebrities' names, photographs, social accounts and increasingly sophisticated synthetic media to make fake relationships or financial pitches appear authentic. The Korea Communications Commission specifically warned that celebrity-impersonation romance fraud may involve requests tied to travel, investment or in-person meetings, while also cautioning users about deepfake-based verification problems.

Police guidance published in 2026 also shows that romance fraud is being treated as part of a broader category of newer digital scam patterns. Government material advised users to stop conversations when an online relationship turns into suspicious financial requests and to use official reporting channels when necessary.

The technology angle makes the problem harder to spot. A fraudster no longer needs to rely on a random stolen profile picture and a generic message. Artificial intelligence can help produce convincing photographs, altered media and other material designed to support a false identity. Korean police have separately warned that AI-generated faces and voices can be abused in fraud, reinforcing the idea that a visual or audio “proof” is not automatically proof of identity.

Latest Update

The latest verified development remains King Kong by STARSHIP's September 16 warning. The agency told fans that its artists do not request money or personal information through private messaging or social-media accounts, and it specifically warned about private VIP fan-meeting offers that require payment.

At publication time, no verified statement reviewed for this article establishes that the real Lee Dong Wook had any romantic involvement with the woman described in the SBS report.

That distinction should remain at the center of the story.

What Happens Next

King Kong by STARSHIP said it would continue monitoring impersonation accounts and asked people who encounter suspicious accounts to report them to the agency.

Beyond the agency's monitoring, the next meaningful development would be an official law-enforcement update about the alleged impersonator or a further statement from the relevant authorities. No such outcome is established in the sources reviewed for this article.

For fans, the practical lesson is straightforward: an account using a celebrity's name, photographs or even apparently realistic media should not be treated as genuine merely because the conversation feels personal. A real announcement should be traceable to an artist's verified channel, agency or official event organizer.

About the Reported Woman's Story

The woman's account deserves to be treated carefully. She was presented in the reporting as someone who believed she was communicating with a celebrity, not as someone whose relationship with Lee Dong Wook has been independently established.

That distinction protects both the victim and the actor from a misleading narrative. Calling the case a “secret Lee Dong Wook romance” would turn an alleged impersonation into a false celebrity relationship story. The evidence available instead points to a scam allegation in which the actor's identity was reportedly used by someone else.

That is also why the agency's warning is the strongest piece of primary evidence in the story. It directly addresses the behavior at issue rather than speculating about the actor's private life.

How Fans Can Check Whether a Celebrity Account Is Real

Korean authorities have repeatedly advised consumers to be suspicious when an online relationship unexpectedly becomes a financial request. In celebrity cases, there is an additional verification layer: check the artist's verified account and agency announcements rather than relying on a private conversation.

Fans should be especially careful when an account claims that money is needed for a VIP meeting, travel, gifts, investment, personal emergencies or another exclusive opportunity. The current King Kong by STARSHIP statement makes clear that legitimate artist fan meetings are announced through the company's official channels and that private financial requests are not part of the agency's normal process.

AI-generated photographs or convincing voice and video calls should not be considered final proof of identity. Korean government guidance has specifically warned that deepfake and deepvoice technology can be used in fraud, which means independent verification remains important.

Editorial Takeaway for KpopBio Readers

The headline around this story may invite curiosity about Lee Dong Wook's dating life, but the verified facts point somewhere else.

The significant development is an alleged celebrity-impersonation romance scam, followed by a direct agency warning. The woman featured in the report described a relationship she believed was real; the available evidence does not show that the real Lee Dong Wook was the person on the other side of that conversation. Meanwhile, King Kong by STARSHIP has explicitly told fans that private requests for money or personal information are not legitimate artist communications.

That distinction is not a technicality. It is the difference between reporting a verified warning and accidentally spreading a false celebrity relationship claim.

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