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Actor Park Seo Joon recently scored a partial legal win in a case against a restaurant that used his photo without permission. The court ruled in his favor and ordered the restaurant owner to compensate him — but there’s been some confusion around how much money was actually involved, which his agency has now cleared up.
The issue started back in 2018, when a scene from Park Seo Joon’s hit drama What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim was filmed at the restaurant in question. After that, from August 2019 to September 2023, the restaurant began using his photos — including putting up banners both inside and outside the place — to promote their business. But they never asked for permission or signed any formal agreement with the actor or his agency.
Despite multiple requests from Park Seo Joon’s side to take the photos down, the restaurant owner allegedly continued using them. This led to Park Seo Joon and his team filing a lawsuit, claiming damages due to unauthorized image use.
After news of the lawsuit broke, some reports falsely claimed that Park Seo Joon was asking for a whopping 6 billion KRW (around USD 4.4 million) in damages. That led to a wave of criticism online, with some people accusing the actor of targeting a small business too harshly.
But on June 3, Park Seo Joon’s agency Awesome ENT set the record straight. They explained that while the potential financial damage caused by the restaurant using Park’s image without permission could have amounted to 600 million KRW (about USD 441,000), they actually only demanded 60 million KRW (around USD 44,000), keeping the restaurant’s situation in mind. That’s ten times less than the original estimate — and way less than the rumors suggested.
The agency also made it clear that they won’t tolerate false rumors or personal attacks on the actor. They warned that anyone spreading misinformation or making harsh accusations could face legal action. They added that the court had ruled in Park Seo Joon’s favor, which validated their position that his image was being exploited for profit without permission.
In South Korea — and elsewhere — an actor’s image is a valuable asset, especially for advertising. Using someone’s face or photo for business purposes without getting legal rights or contracts can lead to serious consequences. Even though the restaurant owner may not have intended harm, using Park Seo Joon’s face for years without permission was a clear violation of image rights.
In the end, the case serves as a reminder: even if a celebrity visits your business or films there, that doesn’t automatically mean you can use their image to market your brand.