"Will Hold Legally Responsible"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Broadcaster Kim Sung-joo's agency has announced plans for legal action against a company that unlawfully used his image rights.
On the 23rd, Kim Sung-joo's agency, Janggun Entertainment, revealed through a recent tip-off that photos of Kim Sung-joo were found to have been used without authorization in advertisements by an investment company presumed to be unregistered.
The agency stated, "The company cleverly composites or manipulates photos of former announcer Kim Sung-joo, a symbol of trust and responsibility, on social media to promote themselves and deceive victims."
They added, "When the agency issued a prior warning, the company called itself '○○ Investment Group' and responded with insults such as 'No one has been harmed. Just take down the photos, are you an XX?' showing a brazen attitude."
Composite photo of Kim Sung-joo being used without permission on SNS, etc. Photo by Online Community Capture.
Accordingly, the agency plans to gather related evidence and proceed with filing complaints and charges.
The agency stated, "After consulting legal experts including Attorney Kim Seung-yong of Dongshin Law Firm, we received advice that such actions may constitute clear criminal offenses such as defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, and violations of the Act on the Regulation of Similar Credit Transactions. On the 23rd, we began collecting and compiling related materials to initiate complaints and charges with investigative authorities."
Furthermore, they added, "What is most concerning is the potential harm to innocent victims caused by false advertisements. We earnestly urge the public not to be deceived by the company's false advertising and will respond strongly without leniency."
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