A new wave of pet shops in South Korea is facing backlash after it was revealed that they used celebrity photos without consent to promote their businesses. The controversy erupted when fans noticed that BTS member Jungkook and BLACKPINK Rosé’s pictures appeared on one such site, leading to immediate action from his agency, BIGHIT MUSIC.
According to the Korean Animal Welfare Association, a recently launched pet business has been running ads on major portal sites while showcasing photos of famous celebrities to gain credibility. The images included popular names like BTS’s Jungkook, Han Sohee, BLACKPINK’s Rosé, Sunmi, HyunA, Xiah Junsu, SHINee’s Taemin, Yong Junhyung, and Weki Meki’s Choi Yoojung.
When the Animal Welfare Association contacted agencies to confirm whether permission had been granted, most responded that no such agreements existed.
BIGHIT MUSIC quickly demanded that Jungkook’s photo be removed, and the image disappeared from the site within hours. THEBLACKLABEL, which represents Rosé, also confirmed it would take firm measures against the company.
Animal organizations strongly criticized these advertising tactics. The Korean Animal Welfare Association argued that these shops exploit both people and animals by hiding behind misleading slogans like “no euthanasia shelter” and “lifelong care.”
They warned that unsuspecting guardians, who pay high fees believing their pets will be cared for, often end up unable to confirm their animals’ welfare—or even survival.
This is not the first case of a celebrity’s image being misused for commercial gain. Actor Park Seo Joon partially won a lawsuit against a restaurant that served as a filming location for his drama What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?
The restaurant displayed banners and ran online search ads using his likeness without permission, including slogans like “the place where Park Seo Joon ate ganjang gejang.” Despite repeated takedown requests from his agency Awesome ENT since 2019, the business continued until legal action was brought.
JYJ filed a lawsuit against a publishing company for using their photos without consent on a magazine cover, claiming portrait rights violations.
Big-name celebrities are susceptible to digital exploitation. Recently, BTS’s Jungkook was a near-victim in a massive hacking scheme:
According to Seoul police, an international hacking ring infiltrated telecom websites and used stolen data from 258 individuals, including Jungkook, to open fraudulent mobile accounts and bypass security checks. The group attempted to liquidate approximately ₩8.4 billion in HYBE stock from Jungkook’s securities account, but financial institutions detected the suspicious activity before any losses occurred.
On the work front, Rosé and Jungkook are occupied with their group activities. While Jungkook is working with BTS members for the upcoming album, Rosé will resume the BLACKPINK tour, Deadline, in October, followed by the group’s mini-album release in November.
