"My Face Is There, But It's Not Me" 'Black-and-White Chef' Eunyoung Park Directly Addresses Insurance Fraud Controversy

Real People Can Be Harmed by Copy-Paste Meme Culture
High Risk of Defamation, Insult, and Right of Publicity Violations

Chef Eunyoung Park has directly addressed the controversy surrounding an image of a group chat on a mobile messenger, in which the crime of "insurance fraud" was mentioned. Although the image was a "Copy and Paste" meme popular in fandom culture, the controversy has grown because it targeted a real person. On January 7, Chef Eunyoung Park posted on her social networking service (SNS), stating, "This is not me. That is not even my profile picture. The photo was taken from my SNS and edited into the image," and revealed the problematic group chat screenshot. The group chat included remarks suggesting "let's form an insurance fraud ring," and used a name and photo reminiscent of Chef Eunyoung Park's real identity.

Eunyoung Park Instagram

The screenshot was confirmed to be a fake chat room created by an internet user on X (formerly Twitter) on January 6, using broadcast footage of Chefs Eunyoung Park, Kwon Sungjun, and Yoon Namno. Upon seeing Chef Eunyoung Park's clarification, users commented, "Content like this should have a watermark indicating it's fake," "I thought it was real," and "People who don't know about copy-paste memes might think it's real."

As the controversy intensified, the creator of the image claimed it was a humorous copy-paste meme. However, criticism continued because Chef Eunyoung Park had recently opened a Chinese restaurant and had shown her friendship with the two chefs on television, making it possible for some users to mistake the image for a real situation.

Repeated 'Copy-Paste' Victimization of Public Figures

This is not the first time that fake SNS chat screenshots targeting real people, such as celebrities and YouTubers, have sparked controversy. In the past, a well-known celebrity announced legal action after a fake messenger chat image suggesting drug dealing spread online. Similarly, a popular YouTuber's reputation was damaged by a false KakaoTalk screenshot implying prostitution, and the perpetrator was referred to the prosecution on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.

According to current law, distributing images that make it appear as if a real person is involved in a crime or unethical act can constitute defamation if it undermines social evaluation, regardless of whether the content is true. In particular, online distribution is subject to the Information and Communications Network Act, which can result in harsher penalties.

Even Humor Is Not Free From Responsibility: Is Punishment Possible?

Experts point out, "Even if copy-paste memes are part of fandom culture, if they target real individuals and imply criminal acts or attach negative images, it is difficult to avoid legal responsibility." In particular, using a real person's name or image for commercial purposes may also violate the "right of publicity," which protects the economic value of a person's identity, separate from personal rights.

Furthermore, if a real person depicted in a copy-paste meme suffers a decline in social reputation or feels humiliation due to the skit, defamation or insult charges under the Information and Communications Network Act may also apply. In fact, there have been cases where defamation resulted in prison sentences or fines amounting to tens of millions of won. Therefore, even online content created for humor or satire should clearly indicate that it is "fake" and take special care not to infringe on the personal rights of real individuals.