'Woo Young-woo' Without PPL, Reaction to 'Multi Balm' Appearance: "What Was Bound to Happen Has Happened"

Franchise and Hongsam Stick Missing, Praised
Viewers Divided Over the Appearance of 'Multi-Balm'

Multi Balm PPL featured in the episode of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" aired on the 3rd. Photo by "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" broadcast screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] The ENA drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" ("Woo Young-woo"), which was praised for its immersive experience due to the absence of excessive PPL (product placement), has finally featured Multi Balm PPL, leading viewers to express disappointment.

In episode 11 of "Woo Young-woo," aired on the 3rd, the scene showed lawyer Woo Young-woo's (Park Eun-bin) colleague Choi Soo-yeon (Ha Yoon-kyung) going out to meet her boyfriend who came to the office. At this moment, Multi Balm placed on Choi Soo-yeon's desk appeared, and she applied Multi Balm on her forehead, neck, and lips.

"Woo Young-woo" had been praised for enhancing the drama's immersion by avoiding the excessive PPL often seen in many other dramas.

Online, netizens cited examples such as the fact that "Woo Young-woo Kimbap," run by Woo Young-woo's father in the drama, is not a franchise, and the absence of commonly appearing "Red Ginseng Sticks."

It is reported that about 20 billion KRW was invested in the production of "Woo Young-woo." The drama was co-produced by KT Studio Genie and production company AStory, and was also released on the online streaming service (OTT) Netflix, which is said to have allowed for a relatively generous production budget compared to average dramas. Therefore, forced PPL was not rampant.

However, the appearance of Multi Balm, which has been featured as PPL in many dramas, in "Woo Young-woo" led to mixed reactions from viewers. Some netizens responded with comments such as "The immersion drops drastically," "Shocking and terrifying Multi Balm," "It was bound to happen," and "The immersion really drops." On the other hand, some said, "This is relatively mild," and "How can a drama be made without PPL?"

Meanwhile, according to the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act, PPL must be conducted without disrupting the viewer's viewing flow. For terrestrial broadcasts, it must be within 5% of the airtime, and for others, within 7%, and the size of indirect advertising must not exceed one-quarter of the screen.

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