On September 10, industry reports revealed that the Seoul Gangnam Police Station confirmed a complaint from a netizen identified as “A” through the public petition system. The police department has handed over the case to Investigation Unit 1 and 2 for further review and action, with updates on the investigation to be communicated via mail, phone, or text.
The complaint accuses an employee of L’Occitane Korea of breaking the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, related to illegal photography.
In the complaint, “A” expressed, “It is likely the employee knew that the photo could incite sexual desire or embarrassment,” calling for a comprehensive investigation and strict penalties.
Previously, controversy arose when a L’Occitane Korea staff member shared private photographs of Mingyu, the brand’s Asia ambassador, on personal social media. The employee posted several images, including a shirtless photo from an advertisement, captioning it, “Mingyu is taking up a large part of my photo album. I was anxious to delete them, but maybe it’s time to clean up.”
In response, L’Occitane Korea issued an apology on their official social media on September 3, stating, “We have no justification for the unauthorized posting of unofficial photos related to the L’Occitane Asia Ambassador campaign by an employee. We accept full accountability and extend our sincere apologies.”
The company further announced that “The employee has been promptly relieved of all responsibilities, and disciplinary measures (suspension) have been implemented.”
L’Occitane Korea also mentioned plans to initiate regular training for all staff on topics including intellectual property, portrait rights, publicity rights, and privacy protection related to brand ambassadors, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Source: Nate
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