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Park Seo Joon partially wins 6 billion KRW lawsuit against restaurant owner, know how What's Wrong with Secretary Kim is linked
Park Seo Joon's agency filed a lawsuit against a restaurant owner for using photos of the actor without his consent for six years. Know more.
Park Seo Joon was embroiled in a lawsuit with a restaurant owner over the unauthorized use of his photos for promotional purposes. On July 3, the K-media outlet Herald Economy reported on the latest update of the case – the actor partially won the case. Read to know all about the origin of the legal dispute and how one of his most popular dramas is related to it.
Park Seo Joon to be paid 5 million KRW in damages from restaurant owner
The court ordered a restaurant owner to pay Park Seo Joon 5 million won (approximately 3,700 USD) in damages for using the actor to increase sales without a formal agreement. Due to the actor's popularity, he charges high fees for advertisements.
According to Park Seo Joon's agency, Awesome ENT, the unauthorized use of his photos resulted in a significant financial impact on him. They calculated that the actor lost roughly 1 billion KRW (approximately 736,000 USD) annually in advertising fees over six years, as the restaurant did not pay him a dime for using his photos for promotional purposes.
How is What's Wrong with Secretary Kim linked with the case?
The issue began after a scene from Park Seo Joon's 2018 hit drama, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, was shot at the concerned restaurant. The scene included the actor enjoying ganjang gejang (soy sauce-marinated crab) there. Following that, from August 2019 to September 2023, the diner owner displayed banners featuring Park Seo Joon inside and outside the establishment.
He even ran search ads on Naver for about six years. Upon discovering this, he took legal action, claiming that the use of his image "without consent" violated his "portrait rights." His agency stated that they had requested the promotional materials be taken down several times since 2019, but the restaurant continued to use them, prompting a lawsuit of 6 billion KRW.
The agency added, "We have confirmed that secondary harm is ongoing through malicious mockery and slander regarding the contents of a just verdict." Although they won the case, they will receive only 5 million KRW, as per the court's ruling.
