Celebrity trainer Yang Chi-seung says he’s made the painful decision to shutter his gym after falling victim to a rental scam.
On the Aug. 21 episode of MBC’s investigative series “True Story,” Yang revisits the 2023 fraud that ultimately pushed him to close his business. He first opened the gym in 2019 inside the No. 1 public parking garage building in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul’s Gangnam District.
Skipping a broker, Yang signed directly with a landlord he’d been introduced to, identified only as Mr. A. The landlord, who said he was a fan, cheered him on to “stay 10, even 20 years,” and Yang renewed in 2021 and 2023 with no apparent issues.
Then in January 2023―less than a month after the latest renewal―the Gangnam District Office ordered him to vacate. Officials alleged he was occupying the space without authorization and even assessed damages. After checking the property registry, Yang discovered there were complicated issues tied to the building that he hadn’t been aware of.
On “True Story,” Yang said he blames himself for not doing more due diligence, but later learned he wasn’t alone. Other tenants say eviction notices arrived out of the blue and that there was no practical way to know beforehand, criticizing lax oversight and sluggish responses from local authorities.
In a November appearance on Channel A’s talk-docuseries “Table for 4,” Yang said he never imagined he’d get caught in a lease-deposit scam. “I thought I’d get my deposit back, but it’s already been two years,” he shared. He put the deposit at about 500 million won and said his total losses, including build-out and equipment, topped 1 billion won.
On July 25, he posted a photo on social media announcing the gym’s closure with a thank-you note. In the picture, he bows deeply with his hands clasped, promising to see member refunds through to the end.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)