"President Yoon, I Respect and Love You"... The Truth Behind the 'Yoon Again' Flight Attendants

Unauthorized Use of Photos of Ordinary Women in Political Posts Continues
Violation of Portrait Rights, Defamation, and Stalking...Potential Legal Liability

Crew member stock photo unrelated to the content. Pixabay

"President Yoon Suk-yeol, I respect and love you."

Recently, a growing number of accounts have appeared on social networking services (SNS) such as Instagram and Threads, repeatedly posting messages in support of certain politicians. However, controversy has arisen as it has been confirmed that many of these accounts operate by using photos of ordinary women without permission. There have been cases where the photos of real individuals were used in posts to make it appear as if the person was directly expressing a political opinion.

The accounts in question tend to use photos of women in their 20s and 30s as their profile images. Photos from a variety of professions-including flight attendants, influencers, and shopping mall models-have been used. The account operators repeatedly post political statements and messages of support for specific politicians, as though they were written by the women in the photos themselves.

"Photo misappropriation is a clear crime"...Claims of unauthorized use

Some women have come forward, claiming to be victims of unauthorized photo use. They have shared related posts on SNS, stated that they have no connection to the accounts in question, or requested that others report the accounts.

Women also appeared, complaining that their photos were used without permission.

One woman stated on SNS, "I am shocked that my photo was misused for a political issue," and added, "Photo misappropriation is clearly a crime, and I am considering taking legal action." Another woman requested that an account be reported, saying, "There is an account using a friend's photo to express a particular political stance."

Possibility of Legal Penalties

Using another person's photo without permission may constitute a violation of portrait rights and the right to control one's personal information. Depending on the circumstances, it could also be an issue of defamation or impersonation under the Information and Communications Network Act, or obstruction of business under the Criminal Act. If the victim experiences significant anxiety or fear, the Stalking Punishment Act may also apply.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.