'Yoo Ah-in Risk' Prompts Retail Industry to Cut Ties... Musinsa Considers Contract Termination

Yoo Ah-in's 'Drug Allegations' Cause Discomfort in Distribution Industry
Advertisements and Posts Hastily Deleted... Contract Termination Also Under Review
If Charges Are Detailed, Breach of Contract Lawsuits Expected to Follow

Actor Yoo Ah-in (37, real name Eom Hong-sik) is under police investigation for allegations of illegal propofol use and marijuana smoking, prompting the distribution industry to scramble for countermeasures. This is because many distribution companies have employed him as a model. Following the removal of advertisements featuring Yoo Ah-in, some companies are even considering contract termination.

Advertisement featuring the virtual human Mua-in appearing on the media art wall of Musinsa's flagship store 'Musinsa Standard Gangnam'.
[Photo by Song Seung-yoon]

The fastest to respond was Musinsa. The company has actively promoted marketing with Yoo Ah-in at the forefront. According to industry sources on the 15th, Musinsa is currently reviewing the termination of its brand model contract with Yoo Ah-in. They are comprehensively examining all contract-related matters, including penalties. This move is seen as a preparation for the possibility of more concrete drug-related charges emerging during the investigation.

Musinsa selected Yoo Ah-in as a brand model in 2021. Last year, they actively continued marketing by introducing a virtual human model called 'Mooain' based on Yoo Ah-in. Currently, all advertisements related to Yoo Ah-in have been removed from social media platforms and their official website. At the flagship store 'Musinsa Standard Gangnam,' which opened in Gangnam, Seoul last year, the large media art wall at the entrance featuring the Mooain advertisement has also been deleted.

Outdoor brand NEPA is also showing a distressed expression. NEPA has removed all advertisements, including photo shoots featuring Yoo Ah-in, from its official website. Since signing a model contract with Yoo Ah-in last year, NEPA has conducted various activities such as TV commercials. It is reported that Yoo Ah-in completed shooting advertisements related to the spring and summer season products this year.

Ottogi also employed Yoo Ah-in as the model for its Jjashulren instant noodles in May last year. Currently, the YouTube advertisement video where he demonstrates the cooking method has been set to private. The video had surpassed 1 million views within a month of its release. Ottogi's model contract with Yoo Ah-in ended in October last year. The 'Yoo Ah-in erasure' is continuing across global brands such as Bottega Veneta, where he was active in communities, as well as Chinese clothing companies and the film and advertising industries.

Since some companies have yet to decide on contract termination, the impact is expected to grow if drug-related charges become clearer in the upcoming police investigation. First, companies that hired him as an advertising model are expected to follow suit with contract terminations. Given the inevitable image damage, disputes over penalties after contract termination are also likely to intensify. Typically, advertising contracts include clauses requiring the model to pay penalties amounting to two to three times the advertising fee if they engage in acts that damage the brand image, such as legal violations. An industry insider predicted, "Usually, advertising contracts specify criteria such as when a legal penalty is imposed, so if drug charges become concrete, lawsuits for penalty claims will be unavoidable."

Currently, Yoo Ah-in's alleged propofol use and marijuana smoking are under investigation by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit. Previously, the police had been investigating allegations that Yoo Ah-in illegally obtained propofol prescriptions and habitually used the drug. The investigation began following a request from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The police suspect that he received propofol injections at multiple hospitals starting in early 2021 and conducted raids on plastic surgery clinics and other medical institutions in Gangnam-gu and Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 8th and 9th, seizing medical records. After Yoo Ah-in returned from the United States, urine and hair samples were collected and sent to the National Forensic Service for analysis. While a rapid urine test showed a negative result for propofol, it tested positive for marijuana.

Meanwhile, Yoo Ah-in's agency UAA issued a statement saying, "We are actively cooperating with all investigations and will actively clarify any problematic issues." Yoo Ah-in himself has not made any statements regarding this matter to date.

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