Jomin: "Followed Standard Procedures," Directly Refutes Allegations
Controversy has arisen over alleged preferential treatment after it was revealed that 'Serolabs', the cosmetic brand operated by Jomin, daughter of Jokook, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the Jokook Innovation Party, entered the Shilla Duty Free store just about six months after its launch. In response, Jomin countered by stating, "We followed the standard entry procedures," and announced plans for legal action.
On October 1, citing a statement from a duty-free industry official, one media outlet reported, "It is difficult to believe that objective verification could have been conducted in such a short period of six months, during which sales figures are not even clearly established," and raised suspicions of preferential treatment by saying, "It seems more likely that external factors, rather than product competitiveness, influenced the brand's entry."
Jomin: "Contract Followed Normal Procedures... Regret Over Distorted Reporting"
Jokook, the daughter of Jokook Innovation Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Jokook, is promoting products from the cosmetic brand 'Sero Labs'. Photo by Jokook's Instagram
In response, Jomin stated through her Instagram story, "The content of these reports is completely untrue," and added, "I deeply regret that the normal commercial transaction process has been distorted in the reporting." She continued, "I demand a correction, a rebuttal report, and the deletion of the article from the media outlet," and emphasized, "If these requests are not met, I will file a complaint with the Press Arbitration Commission and pursue both civil and criminal legal action for defamation and the spread of false information."
Regarding the entry process, Jomin explained, "After the brand launch, positive consumer response led to rapid sales growth, which caught the attention of three duty-free vendor companies, all of whom made simultaneous proposals." She further stated, "We objectively compared commission rates and contract terms and simply selected the final vendor based on these factors." She also added, "Given the nature of a new brand, we accepted the vendor's proposal to operate under exclusive conditions, and after the contract ends, we plan to expand to other duty-free stores as well."
Meanwhile, since its launch last year, Serolabs has recorded a series of sold-out cases in Korea for about ten months and has recently expanded into overseas markets such as Thailand. As of last month, cumulative sales have surpassed 1.5 billion won. The brand stated that, to support global expansion, it has completed applications for certifications including Thailand FDA, US FDA, Europe CPNP, China NMPA, and Halal certification, and is in the process of registering trademarks in nine countries, including the United States, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
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