Mimiminu Kim Min-woo Declares Full Refund of Ad Fees After Partner Company Goes Bust, Facing Another Test Following ‘Slam’ Controversy

Having established himself as a key creator in the test-prep education scene, Mimiminu (real name Kim Min-woo) is now facing another major storm. Still navigating the legal complexities of the ‘Slam’ (defamation lawsuit involving a show participant) from late last year, he now finds his integrity questioned after a startup he promoted abruptly went under. However, Kim has surprised everyone with an unprecedented move, capturing the keen interest of netizens.

A Betrayal by the ‘Study-to-Earn’ App? The Part-Time Study Bankruptcy Saga

The incident began on the 24th, with the sudden bankruptcy of a study app called ‘Part-Time Study.’ The app operated by having users put down a deposit (up to 200,000 KRW) and promising to return the deposit plus extra rewards if they met their study goals. It gained huge popularity among students as an app that lets you ‘earn pocket money while studying.’ But after delays in refunds surfaced a few days ago, the operating company, Studywork Inc., suddenly entered bankruptcy proceedings without prior notice.

The issue is that this app was actively promoted on Mimiminu’s channel just a few months ago. Victims have since formed group chats on social media to assess the scale of the damage, with one chat room currently having over 860 members. Losses per person range from 100,000 KRW to as high as 900,000 KRW. One victim expressed their frustration, saying, “For a student, 200,000 KRW is a huge amount. Overnight, we’ve become creditors.”

Mimiminu’s Response: “I’ll Return the Full Ad Fee from My Own Pocket”

In this situation, Kim released a roughly two-minute apology video the very next day, on the 25th. He stated, “I want to take responsibility for the situation where many people haven’t been able to get their deposits back because a company I promoted on my channel went bankrupt.” He declared, “I will officially return the full advertising fee I received from the company, along with an additional sum, to those affected.” This goes beyond simply returning the fees, showing his willingness to bear extra costs personally.

He explained, “I did two ad campaigns with them from June last year until last month. I met the company’s CEO in person and thoroughly reviewed the product. But I only found out on the day of the bankruptcy that the company had hidden signs of financial trouble from even their own internal directors until just before the collapse.” 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 the people who trusted me and my channel.” Immediately after posting the video, he also removed all related promotional content from his channel to prevent further harm.

Two Crises: How This Compares to the ‘Slam’ Controversy

In fact, this incident marks the second headache for Mimiminu this year alone. Previously, in October last year, he was sued for defamation and insult by an individual, referred to as ‘A’, who appeared in his content. At the time, ‘A’ was removed from the show after allegations of laptop theft surfaced online. ‘A’ claimed that Mimiminu read malicious comments aloud during a live stream, treating the allegations as fact, which caused them emotional distress. This so-called ‘Slam’ controversy is still under police investigation. At that time, Mimiminu took a cautious stance, stating on his fan cafe, “We are preparing our legal response and will share our position once the results are out.”

That’s why his swift decision to issue a ‘full refund’ in the current ‘Part-Time Study’ situation is garnering significant attention. It seems he chose to prioritize ‘trust’ over legal technicalities.

• Swift Action: By posting a video just one day after the incident and promising a full refund plus extra support, he preemptively deflected criticism of being ‘irresponsible with promotions’.
• Engaging with Victims: Immediately after releasing the video, he contacted the victims’ group to arrange the payment of the promised amount through a proper verification process.
• No Shying Away from Responsibility: While emphasising that the company hid its financial troubles until bankruptcy, he acknowledged his moral responsibility when the CEO became unreachable.

For Students, Trust Is Everything… What’s Kim Min-woo’s Next Move?

While some suggest this decision might simply be a strategic move for image management, the majority of netizens are reacting positively, commenting that “it’s not an easy decision to return the full ad fee when you might also be considered a victim.” Many comments read, “It’s impressive for a YouTuber to give back the ad fee to victims,” and “Thank you for the swift response.”

As a creator dealing with the sensitive topics of exams and education, ‘trust’ is the core asset of the Mimiminu personal brand. Kim Min-woo has positioned himself as a mentor for students, leveraging his own backstory of eventually gaining admission to Korea University after five attempts. Whether this decision remains a simple post-crisis measure or becomes a turning point to solidify his reputation as a ‘trustworthy’ creator will depend on his next steps. All eyes are on how the compensation process for victims will actually unfold and what the final legal outcome of the ongoing ‘Slam’ case will be.