Actor Jeon Ji-hyun has been swept up in an unexpected controversy in China over a line in the drama "Bukgeukseong," and a series of advertising terminations has drawn attention.
On the 24th, Ecovacs, the No. 2 robot vacuum maker in China, removed images related to Jeon Ji-hyun from its official website and other platforms. It has been about a year since she was announced as an official ambassador in May last year and appointed as an Asia-Pacific advertising model.
Recently Jeon Ji-hyun was swept up in unexpected criticism in China over a line in the Disney+ original series "Bukgeukseong." In one scene, Seo Mun-ju (played by Jeon Ji-hyun) asks, "Why does China prefer war?" which sparked backlash from local internet users in China.
In response, overseas luxury brands that have employed Jeon Ji-hyun as a global ambassador have removed her advertising images from their local Chinese sites. Following that, Jeon Ji-hyun's images also disappeared from Ecovacs.
A related industry insider told OSEN, "It takes nearly a year from screening to approval for advertising models in China. Therefore short-term contracts are rare, and long-term contracts, typically from three to five years, are common."
However, Jeon Ji-hyun's side drew a line saying the termination of advertising models is unrelated to "Bukgeukseong." On the 23rd, a representative for Jeon Ji-hyun told OSEN, "The 'Bukgeukseong' line and the termination of the China advertising models are not related. Even before 'Bukgeukseong' was released, we received notices that advertising shoots had been postponed or events had been delayed due to local circumstances, and during that process the contracts were terminated," expressing the official position.
There is still no change to the Chinese authorities' existing position that "there is no ban on Korean content." Meanwhile, the early termination of Jeon Ji-hyun's modeling contracts is spreading as a so-called China risk, a political response aimed at controlling public opinion.
[Photo] OSEN DB. Source: Ecovacs.
[OSEN]