'Cheongdam-dong Party' Animal Abuse Controversy... Alpaca Owner "Did Not Rent Out for Money"

Alpacas appeared at the birthday party venue enjoyed by Lee Min-jung, Hyomin, Nam Tae-hyun, and Son Yeon-jae, sparking controversy over animal abuse. Photo by Imvely Instagram

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) related to clubs continues to rise daily in areas such as Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, an alpaca appeared at a birthday party enjoyed by Lee Min-jung, Hyomin, Nam Tae-hyun, Son Yeon-jae, and others, sparking controversy over animal abuse.

On the 20th, multiple media outlets reported that on the 9th, fashion industry celebrity Mr. A hosted a birthday party in Itaewon attended by actress Lee Min-jung, singer Hyomin, Nam Tae-hyun, Son Yeon-jae, and Lim Ji-hyun.

In response, Hyomin, Nam Tae-hyun, and Son Yeon-jae, who were known to have attended the birthday party, clarified, "It is true that we attended the birthday party, but the location was Cheongdam-dong, not Itaewon."

However, the party venue they enjoyed had an alpaca, a member of the camelid family, which led to controversy over animal abuse. Critics pointed out that the cafe where the birthday party was held was not a suitable place for an alpaca.

The alpaca's owner, YouTuber Daily Parka, stated through the YouTube community on the same day, "I apologize to the alpaca for taking it without properly checking and for causing misunderstandings, and I am sorry to everyone."

Daily Parka explained, "(The friend who invited me to the party) said it was a simple birthday party with photographers coming, as the friend is a photographer. They said they would take pictures of the alpaca, so I went."

He continued, "Suddenly, the venue was changed to a cafe, and since that person’s pet was also coming, I thought it was a pet cafe. When I arrived, it was not a place suitable for an alpaca, so we just took some photos and left immediately without even letting the alpaca drink a sip of water. We never rent out the alpaca for money. I apologize."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.