27-year-old Seo Won Jeong, also known as “WonJeongMan” or @ox_zung, is Korea’s “most followed” (non-celeb) TikTok content creator with a massive following of 55.6M.
Seo Won Jeong | @ox_zung/Instagram
After having gone viral for shouting, “Mama!” while re-creating other content creators’ videos, Seo became recognized in both Korea and around the world as the “Mama Guy.”
#stitch #이어찍기 #추천 #fyp #viral #xyzbca #korean #おすすめ
♬ 오리지널 사운드 – 원정맨 WonJeong – 원정맨 WonJeong
As of May, he was selected as one of “Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2023.”
However, he stopped posting months ago, with his last TikTok video being from July 22, 2023. And to the surprise of his followers who’ve wondered about his disappearance…
| @ox_zung/TikTok
…Seo appeared on the South Korean news as “Influencer A” under investigation for the charges of sexual assault.
SBS reported, “Influencer A and one other man was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman.” The news detailed that “Influencer A” and the other man had drinks with “Woman B,” before taking her to the other man’s house and raping her. “Woman B” is said to have called the police, reporting that she “heard recording noises when she woke up after having fallen asleep” and that she “got raped by both men.”
It has been confirmed that ‘Influencer A’ refused to open the door when the police showed up to investigate the scene. The fire department had to get involved to force the door open.
— SBS
While the initial news report did not reveal Seo’s name or face, it included a blurred video in the background for reference—which was more than enough for his followers to recognize.
Following the investigation, Seoul Gangnam Police Station has sent the case to the prosecution. As of December 15, Seo faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty for the sexual assault of an unconscious victim. Charges of illegal filming have been dropped due to a lack of evidence in Seo’s phone. Seo is claiming the intercourse had been consensual, though the truth will be unveiled during the first court hearing scheduled for January 17, 2024.
Seo’s management, SOONENT, is yet to respond.
He went radio silent for months, making his followers wonder where he had gone.