'Itaewon Class' Original Creator Hong Jun-pyo Expresses Displeasure at 'Hong Saeroi'

A graphic of "Itaewon Class" used as election promotional material by Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the Liberty Korea Party, who ran as an independent candidate in Daegu Suseong-e. It parodies the main character Park Sae-ro-yi from the drama. Photo by "Suseong-e Class" SNS

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] Webtoon original author Jo Gwang-jin (33) expressed discomfort on the 7th about his work being used in election campaigns.

On the same day, Jo stated on his social network service (SNS), "As the copyright holder, I hope that 'Itaewon Class' does not take on any political stance."

This is interpreted as a response to former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo, who recently ran as an independent candidate in the Daegu Suseong electoral district and parodied the main character Park Sae-ro-yi from 'Itaewon Class.'

Former leader Hong posted promotional materials parodying 'Itaewon Class' as 'Suseong Class' and the main character Park Sae-ro-yi as 'Hong Sae-ro-yi' consecutively.

In the promotional materials, Hong explained the similarities between Park Sae-ro-yi and himself, citing shared traits such as experiencing unfairness in childhood, having dreams to fight against injustice, and a personality that does not compromise with reality.

KakaoPage, the platform where the webtoon was serialized, stated, "There was no prior consultation with (former leader Hong's side)," and added, "Jo hopes that the intellectual property of 'Itaewon Class' is not used for political or profit activities."

Following Jo's statement, former leader Hong's side made the 'Suseong Class' SNS account private and deleted related posts, thereby stopping the parody promotion of 'Itaewon Class.'