Han Ga In releases Naver Pay records to refute sponsorship claims

One day after actress Han Ga In posted an apology regarding the controversy over "edible albumin," she released transaction records dating back two years. Moving beyond a simple explanation that it "was not a sponsorship," she provided actual purchase records to support her claim that she personally bought and used the product.

On the 29th, through the community tab of her YouTube channel Han Ga In Free Woman, she released official Naver Pay payment records, stating, "Following yesterday's post, I am disclosing the purchase history at that time to provide additional accurate facts." According to the records, on July 23, 2024—before she even launched her YouTube channel—Han Ga In purchased three boxes of 30 bottles each of Dongkook Albumin, totaling 90 bottles, for 616,000 won.

Han Ga In emphasized that the timing of the purchase was well before the production of the video. She explained that she uploaded a video introducing nutritional supplements in November of the same year and repurchased the product in March 2025. She noted that it took time to verify the facts by obtaining the official payment history file from Naver Pay, adding, "The product was purchased with personal funds without any compensation or sponsorship since before the channel was even established."

This disclosure has drawn attention as it is an additional response following Han Ga In's apology the previous day. On the 28th, Han Ga In apologized for being "not cautious" in introducing health-related products based on her own experiences. While clarifying that the content was not an advertisement or sponsored, she stated she realized how delicate it is to introduce health-related products based solely on personal perception.

Crucially, "whether one paid for the product themselves" and "whether the product's efficacy was objectively proven" are two entirely different matters. These payment records serve only as evidence to support Han Ga In's explanation of a "personal purchase," but they do not prove the health benefits mentioned in her past videos. Han Ga In herself made this distinction and maintained her apology regarding her method of introduction.

This is not the first time Han Ga In has personally added explanations when controversies arise. When she launched her YouTube channel in 2024 and the story of her child being a gifted child became a hot topic, she personally explained that the term "gifted" does not necessarily mean a genius. When her daughter's late return schedule was revealed, she also clarified that she chose the day that ends latest in the week for the sake of filming fun, and that it was different from her usual daily life. It appears she has responded by providing context whenever the possibility of misunderstanding arises.

The origin of this controversy lies in the YouTube channel Samangyeou TV covering suspicions of exaggerated advertising for edible albumin products and their connection to home shopping programming. In this process, Han Ga In's past remarks emphasizing the health effects while introducing the product also drew renewed attention. However, Samangyeou TV explained that Han Ga In's product recommendation occurred only once, making it difficult to view that recommendation as the direct cause of the product's popularity or the suspicions regarding home shopping scheduling.

Ultimately, what Han Ga In brought forth this time was a form of explanation stronger than words. By disclosing the specific amount of 616,000 won and the payment records from two years ago, she drew a line against the suspicion that she "received sponsorship to promote the product." However, since the standard of trust in health-related content lies not only in the purchaser but also in the accuracy and level of verification of the information, Han Ga In's self-admitted "not cautious introduction" remains the core of this controversy.

After releasing the payment history, Han Ga In stated, "I will listen to the opinions you have sent and will be more careful when creating content in the future." In an era where the daily lives and experiences of celebrities are immediately consumed as information content, the gap between "I used it myself" and medical or scientific evidence is larger than one might think. This controversy goes beyond Han Ga In's explanation, asking once again where a star YouTuber's recommendation content ends as personal experience and begins as public information.