BJ Ayoung's Death: Two Years Later

It has been two years since the tragic death of BJ Ayoung (real name: 변아영) in Cambodia, a case that still resonates with shock. On June 6, 2023, the body of a Korean woman in her 30s was discovered at a construction site in Kandal Province, near the capital city of Phnom Penh. Reports indicated that her body was wrapped in a red cloth and discarded in a puddle. Local media identified the victim as BJ Ayoung, an internet broadcaster who was traveling in Cambodia at the time.

The news broke about a week after the body was found. Cambodian authorities arrested a Chinese couple in their 30s, who owned a hospital, on suspicion of disposing of BJ Ayoung's body. They claimed that she had suffered a seizure and died after receiving an antibody injection at their facility.

However, it was reported that BJ Ayoung's body showed signs of severe physical abuse. The Cambodian police launched an investigation into whether the hospital operated with proper health authority approval and if there was any negligence during the treatment. An autopsy was conducted, and South Korean police also requested a thorough investigation from their Cambodian counterparts.

The case was featured on SBS's investigative program, 그것이 알고 싶다 (I Want to Know That). The program interviewed experts and local police, who stated, "The cause of death appears to be asphyxiation, leading us to suspect a drug reaction at the hospital. There were no signs of torture or external injuries on the body. A drug test returned negative. At the time, the victim was not wearing a top and her underwear was on backward, raising suspicions of sexual assault."

The husband of the arrested couple explained to the production team of 그것이 알고 싶다 (I Want to Know That), "He asked for an injection, but I did not administer it. He already had injection marks on his body. When I didn’t give him the shot, he just fell asleep. Later, I found him unresponsive and foaming at the mouth, so I tried to give him emergency medication and oxygen, but he died."

He admitted to the body disposal, stating, "I acknowledge the body disposal. I was panicked, scared, and had no money. It’s only natural to be punished for that. However, my wife was unaware of the situation."

BJ Ayoung was a well-known BJ and influencer with 160,000 subscribers on AfreecaTV and 250,000 followers on Instagram. Just three months before her death, she announced her retirement from broadcasting.