Park Seo Joon has won a lawsuit against a restaurant owner who used his name and image without permission—but despite rumors, he never demanded 6 billion KRW in damages.
On July 3rd, the results of a legal dispute between Park Seo Joon and restaurant owner A hit the wire. The issue began back in 2018, when Park appeared in the tvN drama What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim and filmed a scene eating soy-marinated crab at A’s restaurant. After the drama aired, A allegedly began using Park’s name and image—without permission—for promotional purposes, including online ads.
Once Park Seo Joon became aware of the situation, he filed a lawsuit. Initial reports noted that Park estimated his damages at 6 billion KRW (approx. 4.4M USD), based on a standard 1 billion KRW annual advertising contract multiplied over six years of infringement.
The staggering amount sparked backlash online, with many accusing the actor of trying to bankrupt a small business over what’s often seen as routine promotional activity.
In response, Park’s agency Awesome ENT clarified to iMBC Entertainment, “We requested the removal of the content multiple times starting in 2019, but the restaurant continued its malicious behavior—taking the ads down only to put them back up again. Eventually, they stopped responding altogether. That’s what led to the lawsuit.”
They added, “While the estimated damages based on Park’s advertising rate amount to 6 billion KRW, we only filed a claim for 60 million KRW (approx. $44,000), considering the defendant’s business size and overall circumstances.”
The agency also addressed the ongoing online attacks following the court ruling. “We’ve confirmed there are malicious posts and defamatory content targeting our actor over a legitimate court decision. We will be taking firm legal action, without any settlements or leniency, against any further violations of his image or personal rights.”
The court ruled partially in Park Seo Joon’s favor, ordering the restaurant to pay 5 million KRW (approx. 3,700 USD) in damages.
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