'So petty?': Park Seo Joon wins lawsuit over unauthorized use of K-drama scene by crab restaurant owner; fans divided

Time of India

8 hours ago

Is Park Seo Joon being petty, or was this lawsuit reasonable? That's for fans to decide, as the actor has successfully concluded a legal battle over portrait rights against a restaurant owner who used his image - without permission - from the popular tvN K-drama What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? for commercial promotion.
As first reported by Herald Corp, the actor filed a lawsuit against Mr. A, the owner of a raw marinated crab restaurant that served as a filming location in the 2018 drama. The dispute arose when Mr. A used a scene featuring Park Seo Joon to promote his restaurant without obtaining the actor's consent.
Unauthorized banners and advertisements
In August 2019, about a year after the drama aired, Mr. A began displaying banners both inside and outside the restaurant. These included phrases like "The restaurant where Park Seo Joon devoured crabs" and "The crab dish even Park Seo Joon fell in love with." Mr A is said to have also ran Naver search advertisements referencing the scene, which continued until September 2024.
Actor claims portrait rights violation
Park Seo Joon's legal team argued that Mr. A's promotional use of the drama scene constituted a violation of the actor's portrait rights. They initially sought ₩6 billion KRW (approximately $4.44 million USD) in damages, citing the average endorsement fee Park typically commands - ₩1 billion KRW per year - multiplied across the six years of alleged misuse.
Court sides with Park Seo Joon
In response, Mr. A defended his actions, claiming that using K-drama scenes for marketing was a common business practice for filming sponsors.
However, the court rejected this argument and ruled in favour of Park Seo Joon. The court awarded a reduced compensation of ₩5 million KRW (around $3,700 USD) and instructed both parties to bear their own legal fees.
With neither side appealing the decision, the ruling was finalized. Mr. A has since removed all banners and taken down the related advertisements.
Mixed reactions from the public
The verdict, however, went on to spark a debate online. Some netizens especially on the site Theqoo criticized Park Seo Joon for what they saw as an excessive response, with one calling the lawsuit "petty" and questioning the ₩6 billion KRW claim against a small business owner. Others, however, supported the actor's right to control the commercial use of his likeness.
"That 6 billion claim is seriously petty."
"Wow… okay, got it. This shows Park Seo Joon's true character, LOL."
"Even 5 million won is a lot for a small business owner."
"I have never seen a single sponsor for a filming location get a happy ending…"
"Just wow."
Agency clarifies lawsuit amount and context
Following online backlash over the supposed ₩6 billion claim, Park Seo Joon's agency, Awesome ENT, issued a clarification via MBC.
"We had repeatedly requested the advertisements be taken down since 2019, but the restaurant would take down the portal search ads and banners only to put them back up again. Later, they ignored all further takedown requests. These malicious actions led to the lawsuit.
"While the estimated damages based on standard advertising model fees amount to 6 billion won, the actual lawsuit sought 60 million won, taking into account the defendant's business size and other relevant circumstances.
"We have also confirmed that secondary harm is ongoing, including malicious mockery and defamation regarding the rightful court ruling. We will respond to any acts that infringe on our actor's portrait and personal rights without leniency or settlement."
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