YouTuber Mimi Minu Kim Min-woo Refunds All Ad Fees After Partner Company Goes Bankrupt — Another Test Following 'Slom' Controversy

Mimi Minu (real name Kim Min-woo), a prominent creator in the exam prep scene, has hit another major hurdle. After facing legal battles late last year over the 'Slom' (a defamation lawsuit involving a show participant), he now finds his integrity tested as he gets caught up in the sudden bankruptcy of a startup he personally promoted. However, Kim Min-woo has responded with an unexpectedly strong move, capturing the intense interest of netizens.

Betrayal by a 'Study-and-Earn' App? The Part-Time Study Bankruptcy

The issue began on the 24th with the sudden bankruptcy of a study app called 'Part-Time Study'. The app was hugely popular among exam-takers as a way to 'earn pocket money while studying' by allowing users to deposit a set amount (up to 200,000 won) and get it back with extra rewards upon achieving their study goals. After several days of delayed refunds, the operating company, Studywork Inc., entered bankruptcy proceedings without any prior warning.

The problem is that this app was actively promoted on Mimi Minu's channel just a few months ago. Affected users have formed group chats on social media to assess the scale of the damage, with one chat currently having over 860 members. Individual losses range from 100,000 won to as high as 900,000 won. One affected user expressed their frustration, saying, "200,000 won is a huge amount for a student, and now I've become a creditor overnight."

Mimi Minu's Response: "I Will Refund the Full Advertising Fee from My Own Pocket"

In this situation, Kim Min-woo released a roughly two-minute apology video the very next day, on the 25th. He stated, "I want to take responsibility for the current situation where many people haven't received their deposits back because the company I ran ads for on my channel went bankrupt," announcing, "I will formally return the full amount of the advertising fees I received from that company, plus an additional sum, to those affected." This goes beyond simply returning the ad money, indicating he's willing to bear extra costs himself.

He explained, "I ran two ad campaigns with them from June last year to last month, meeting the company's CEO in person and thoroughly vetting them. However, I only found out on the day of the bankruptcy that signs of financial trouble were hidden even from their own internal directors until the very end." He added, "Since I can't get in touch with the CEO, I felt the least I could do was take responsibility as quickly as possible for those who trusted me and my channel." Immediately after uploading the video, he also removed all related promotional videos from his channel to prevent further harm.

Two Crises: Perspectives on the 'Slom' Controversy and This Incident

In fact, this incident marks Kim Min-woo's second headache this year alone. Previously, in October of last year, he was sued for defamation and insult by an individual known as 'A', who had appeared in his content. 'A' claimed they were forced to leave after being accused online of stealing a laptop, and alleged that Kim Min-woo caused them emotional distress by reading malicious comments about it on a live stream as if they were true. This so-called 'Slom' controversy is still under police investigation. At that time, Kim Min-woo took a cautious stance, stating on his fan cafe that he was "preparing a legal response and would share his position once there was a result."

Given this context, his swift decision to offer a 'full refund' in the 'Part-Time Study' case has drawn even more attention. It appears he chose to prioritize 'trust' over determining legal liability.

• Decisive Action: Posted a video just one day after the issue emerged, promising a full refund of ad fees and additional support, effectively blocking criticism of 'irresponsible promotion'.
• Reaching Out to Victims: Immediately after the video, he contacted the victims' group to communicate that he would provide the promised amount following proper verification procedures.
• Not Avoiding Responsibility: While emphasising that the company hid its financial troubles until bankruptcy, he acknowledged his moral responsibility when the CEO became unreachable.

Trust is Everything for Exam Takers... What Will Kim Min-woo's Choice Be?

While some suggest this might just be a strategic image management move, the majority of netizens are reacting positively, commenting that "it's not an easy decision to return all the ad money when he could be considered a victim himself." Comments like "It's amazing for a YouTuber to give the ad money to the victims" and "Thank you for the quick response" are prevalent.

As a creator dealing with the sensitive topics of exams and education, 'trust' is the core asset of the Mimi Minu personal brand. Kim Min-woo has positioned himself as an 'exam mentor' for students, leveraging his own story of eventually entering Korea University after five attempts. Whether this decision will be mere damage control or serve as a turning point to solidify his reputation as 'reliable Mimi Minu' depends on his next steps. All eyes are on how the refund process for victims will actually unfold and the legal outcome of the ongoing 'Slom' case.