[Sportschosun reporter Kim Jun-seok] Singer Huh Gak's side has warned of strong legal action against a restaurant that booked his twin brother Huh Gong for an event, then used Huh Gak's name and photo in promotion as if Huh Gak would appear.
Huh Gak's agency, OS Project, said in a post on its official social media account on the 30th that a restaurant in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province had used Huh Gak's name and image without permission while promoting its opening event, and disclosed the details of the case.
According to the agency, the incident began with an event booking for Huh Gong, not Huh Gak.
The restaurant asked Huh Gong to perform at its opening event on the 4th, and after he accepted, the appearance was arranged for the 29th.
But something unexpected happened afterward. The restaurant used Huh Gak's name and photo in its promotion instead of the Huh Gong it had actually booked.
The agency said the restaurant had been advertising online since the 17th with Huh Gak's photo and name, making it seem as if Huh Gak would personally attend and perform at the event.
In fact, Huh Gak had nothing to do with the event.
"Neither our company nor Huh Gak received any booking request or appearance offer for the event, and we were not even aware that Huh Gong had been booked," the agency said.
After receiving the agency's complaint, the restaurant reportedly explained that it was an "error that occurred during the course of work" and removed Huh Gak's name and photo from its online notice.
But the controversy did not end there.
The agency said the restaurant kept promotional wording about a "surprise stage by a surprise singer" even after deleting Huh Gak's name, and did not post the official apology the agency had requested.
What's more, the agency said it confirmed that physical promotional materials containing Huh Gak's name and photo, which had been promised for removal, were still displayed at the venue on the event day, the 29th.
It also received reports that visitors were told Huh Gak would actually come to the venue.
"We also received reports that the venue falsely told customers who had made reservations or visited after believing Huh Gak would appear that 'Huh Gak will be here soon,'" a company official said, stressing that Huh Gak had no connection to the event or its promotion.
In the end, the singer actually booked to appear was Huh Gong, but Huh Gak's name and photo were used in the promotion.
OS Project has secured related evidence and begun a legal review. The agency said it could not ignore the damage to fans and consumers, and would take all possible civil and criminal legal measures if necessary.
narusi@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
