South Korean Influencer apologises for wearing fake designer items

Single's Inferno star Song Ji Ah. Photo / Instagram/@dear.zia

We're all used to seeing influencers flaunt their lavish lifestyles and designer products online — but one YouTuber has been forced to apologise after she was outed for sporting a fake Chanel top.

Song Ji Ah, also known as Freezia, is a South Korean influencer who has more than five million followers across Instagram and YouTube.

She also appears in new Netflix series Single's Inferno, a dating series which sees singles trapped on an island together.

Single's Inferno star Song Ji Ah has had to apologise after she was outed for wearing fake designer items. Photo / @dear.zia

Ji-a has been one of the show's most popular contestants, however, some viewers recently spotted that the 25-year-old was wearing a dupe of a Chanel top, Daily Mail reports.

That led to the discovery Ji-a had been wearing fake versions of pricey designer products on social media.

It prompted Ji-a to issue a statement to her followers on Instagram on Monday, confirming she had been wearing counterfeit items and "sincerely apologise" for her actions.

"The counterfeit controversy you (fans) pointed out is partly true. I'm really sorry," she wrote.

The 25-year-old has been called a 'golden spoon'. Photo / @dear.zia

"We apologise once again for all the circumstances that have occurred due to infringing on designers' creations and ignorance of copyrights."

Ji-a also said she had a "dream of launching a brand" and would now "reflect" on her actions, as well as make sure she didn't wear more counterfeit products in the future.

She also apologised "to the brands that have been hurt because of me".

Fans threw their support behind the influencer, with one commenting: "Even if the clothes are fake … they still look nice on you queen."

"Wtf didn't know people had to apologise for that," one person wrote.

"Bestie you have no reason to apologise … Fake it till you make it. These are extremely wealthy brands that get millions a month," another wrote.

Ji-a has been labelled a "golden spoon", a South Korean term for someone born into a well-off family and lives in one of the country's most luxurious apartment complexes, the Trimage Seoul Forest.

She previously attended Hanyang University as a dance major before graduating in 2020.

Prior to appearing on Single's Inferno, Ji-a appeared on a series of South Korean variety shows including Follow Me and Video Star.