On September 29, Han Ga In shared records from her past Naver Pay transactions. According to the records, she purchased three boxes containing 30 bottles each of Dongkook Albumin on July 23, 2024, paying a total of 616,000 won for 90 bottles.
What stands out is the timing of the purchase. The YouTube video in which Han Ga In introduced the product was uploaded on November 13, 2024. In other words, she bought it approximately four months before the video was released—and even before she had launched her YouTube channel.
Han Ga In also disclosed another transaction showing that she purchased the same product again on March 24, 2025, indicating that she had continued buying it over time.
Earlier, YouTuber Samangyeowoo mentioned Han Ga In’s content in a video about albumin products. Questions were raised over whether Han Ga In’s introduction of the albumin product on YouTube may have been advertising, prompting criticism from some netizens.
On September 29, Han Ga In responded, explaining, “It was ‘bought with my own money’ content in which I introduced a product that I personally purchased and used without receiving any compensation or sponsorship.” She also apologized, saying that regardless of whether it was an advertisement, she had not been cautious enough when introducing a health-related product based solely on her personal experience.
However, the criticism did not immediately subside. The atmosphere only began to change after Han Ga In ultimately disclosed her purchase records. Despite already issuing an apology, she found herself having to reveal her own transaction history before the controversy surrounding her began to ease.
Notably, when Han Ga In first purchased the albumin product in July 2024, albumin products and related information were not as widely known on the market as they are today. Compared with the recent surge of attention surrounding albumin as a health-related topic, her records suggest that she began purchasing and consuming the product before the trend gained broader attention.
As it became known that Han Ga In had personally purchased and used the product before introducing it and continued buying it afterward, more people began calling for the allegations of “undisclosed advertising” raised by Samangyeowoo to be reconsidered.
Meanwhile, Samangyeowoo uploaded a separate YouTube Short after the video mentioning Han Ga In, but later deleted it and issued an apology. The YouTuber had previously received considerable support for raising issues framed as being in the public interest, but the latest controversy has prompted criticism of how the claims in this case were handled.
Sources: Daum