South Korean influencer Yoo Yoon-jin, better known as Jinnytty or “Penguin Sister,” has been barred from entering the country after authorities determined she had engaged in unauthorized work during a previous visit.
Yoo, 32, gained a large following in Taiwan after livestreaming a trip around the nation in 2023. Despite holding a Taiwan Employment Gold Card — an open work permit granted to highly skilled foreign professionals — she said she was denied entry at the airport and informed she was banned from entering Taiwan for three years.
During a Twitch livestream to her 1.1 million followers on Sunday, Yoo said that the entry ban might stem from her participation in a one-day pop-up store event for a video game company in 2023 — a commercial activity she admitted she did not have a valid work permit for.
Photo: Screengrab from Jinnytty’s Instagram
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) in a statement said that the Ministry of Labor had notified it on March 25 that Yoo had undertaken illegal work in 2023. The NIA then issued an entry ban after the Taipei City Government’s Department of Labor imposed a penalty on her.
The case mirrors a recent incident involving American YouTuber LeLe Farley (樂樂法利), who was also denied entry to Taiwan last month despite holding a Gold Card. Authorities said that Farley had worked illegally in the country late last year by appearing on political commentary shows.
Farley said he had applied for the Employment Gold Card in November last year and received it in February. The NIA said the ban remains in force until further notice.
In both cases, neither Yoo nor Farley were aware that their Gold Cards had been revoked until they were turned away at the airport.
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