Korean influencer 'Penguin Girl' Jinny banned from entering Taiwan

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) A South Korean influencer known as "Penguin Girl" (企鵝妹) in Taiwan has been banned from entering the country after Taiwanese authorities decided she had worked there illegally in 2023.

Jinny, the 32-year-old online celebrity who gained attention in Taiwan after livestreaming a trip around the island in 2023, said she was denied entry at the airport despite holding a Taiwan Employment Gold Card, a type of open work permit for foreigners who meet strict eligibility criteria.

Jinny told her 1.1 million followers on a Twitch livestream on Sunday that Taiwanese immigration officials said she could not enter the country for another three years.

She speculated that the ban could be related to her managing a one-day pop-up store for a video game company in 2023, an activity she admitted she did not have a work permit for.

Taiwan's National Immigration Agency (NIA) said in a statement that the decision to ban Jinny from entering the country was made because Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MOL) notified them on March 25 this year that she had undertaken illegal work in 2023.

The NIA said it imposed the entry ban after the Taipei City Government's Department of Labor issued a penalty on the Korean national.

In a similar case, LeLe Farley (樂樂法利), an American YouTuber, was also denied entry to Taiwan last month despite holding a Taiwan Employment Gold Card after authorities decided he had worked illegally in the country in late 2023.

The NIA confirmed that LeLe Farley's Gold Card -- which he said he applied for in November 2024 and received in February this year -- was revoked over appearances he made on Taiwanese political commentary shows, and an entry ban remains in force until further notice.

In both cases, neither of the Taiwan Gold Card holders knew that their employment visas had been revoked until they were denied entry when attempting to fly into the country.