Park Seo-joon Wins Lawsuit Over Unauthorized Restaurant Promotion, Public Reaction Mixed
Actor Park Seo-joon has won a legal dispute against a restaurant owner who used his image without consent for commercial purposes. The Seoul Eastern District Court’s 13th Civil Division (Presiding Judge Seok Jun-hyeop) ruled in Park’s favor on July 2nd, awarding him 5 million won (approximately $3,700) in damages. The defendant, identified as ‘A’, didn’t appeal, and the ruling has been finalized.
“What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?” Scene Sparks Legal Battle
The conflict stems from a soy-marinated crab restaurant run by ‘A’, who rented out their place in 2018 for the filming of tvN’s drama What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?. After that, banners were displayed in the restaurant with phrases like “The place where Park Seo-joon devoured soy-marinated crab,” and “A crab restaurant that even Park Seo-joon loved.” These ads remained up from August 2019 to September 2023. For six years, the restaurant also ran related search engine ads.
Park’s side claimed “financial damages” over the unauthorized use of his scene for advertising. Although reports initially suggested the claim was for 6 billion won (approximately $4.4 million), his agency, Awesome ENT, clarified the actual lawsuit was for 60 million won (approximately $44K). They said, “While the estimated damage considering advertising model fees was 6 billion won (approximately $4.4 million), we decided on the lower amount considering ‘A’s business scale and other circumstances.”
“Repeated Requests Ignored,” Says Park’s Agency
The agency also explained the reason behind the legal action: “We repeatedly requested the cessation of the advertisement, but it was taken down for a period and then put back up. After that, they didn’t respond to our requests to take it down, so we proceeded with a legal lawsuit.”
Netizens Divided Over Park Seo-joon’s Lawsuit
This case sparked a wide debate among the public. Some people criticized Park Seo-joon, saying, “Isn’t it customary to promote with drama filming photos?”, “Who would lend their place if it didn’t help promote the store?”, and “They should only film on sets from now on.” Others added, “Don’t most places put up banners like that?”, “There must be many photos like that of variety show cast members,” and “Such advertising photos are really common.”
On the flip side, many defended him. Netizens wrote, “If he asked them to take it down and they didn’t, he has to sue,” and “It doesn’t seem like Park Seo-joon’s fault.” Others said, “He might have disliked it because his name was mentioned, not just that it was a drama filming location,” and “Why do others interfere when he dislikes it himself?” They also pointed out, “Regardless of profit, he dislikes it,” “He asserted his rights, why?”, and “Isn’t a celebrity’s portrait rights important?”
Awesome ENT Vows Legal Action Against Defamation
In response to rising criticism, Awesome ENT stated, “We have confirmed that secondary harm, including malicious ridicule and slander, is occurring regarding the legitimate court ruling. We plan to respond without leniency or settlement to acts that infringe upon the actor’s portrait rights and personal rights.”
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