[HanCinema's News] Seo Yea-ji's Advertising Contracts Put on Hold Due to Ongoing Controversy

The controversy against against Seo Yea-ji continues unabated. What started out as a simple confirmation of a secret relationship with her "Stay With Me" co-star Kim Jung-hyun has morphed into an elaborate menagerie of accusations, from school age bullying, to gaslighting of former personal staff, to dishonesty regarding overseas studies in Spain. As commenters pore through old footage of Seo Yea-ji on variety programs to confirm incidental details of these events, advertisers have removed Seo Yea-ji from their copy.

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To date Seo Yea-ji's contracts have not been suspended. The relevant companies are simply electing not use her likeness to advertise their product at this time. But this damage alone to Seo Yea-ji's image is significant. Relevant lawyers have commented that the rumors are doing tangible famage to Seo Yea-ji's image to the point that she could sue the relevant rumormongers for damages.

Despite this, Seo Yea-ji's agency has been reluctant to make such threats. Part of this is due to the possibility that at least some of the charges against Seo Yea-ji are true. She has already admitted to having a secret relationship with Kim Jung-hyun, and that she did not attend school in Spain. But while more intangible accusations of gaslighting can't be easily proven, Seo Yea-ji could prove she was at least accepted to the Spanish university in question by uploading her matriculation letter.

It is unknown to what extent the negativity toward Seo Yea-ji may persist. Her next project, "Recalled" is being released in South Korean theaters next week and already being heavily downvoted on user-driven movie sites. The production behind "Island - Drama" has also hinted that Seo Yea-ji's status as leading lady in the upcoming drama may not be as secure as had been implied in previous reporting.

Written by William Schwartz