• By Ridhi Suri
  • Wed, 04 Sep 2024 08:14 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND
Add as a preferred

French luxury brand L'Occitane is facing criticism following reports that one of its employees leaked inappropriate and private photos of Kpop star Mingyu from SEVENTEEN, taken during a commercial shoot. On September 3, South Korean media outlet Herald Pop revealed that the employee involved has been suspended, and the Korean division of the brand has issued an official apology.

The outlet Herald Pop reported that the employee responsible had been suspended. In response, L'Occitane Korea released a formal apology, conveying their regret over the situation. The brand took full accountability, stating on their social media, “We sincerely apologize for the recent incident involving the unauthorized release of photos from the L’Occitane Asia Ambassador campaign, which were improperly distributed on the personal social media account of one of our employees. We acknowledge that there is no excuse for this breach and fully accept responsibility for what has occurred."

"We take this matter with the utmost seriousness, and we deeply regret the distress caused to the artist and all the fans. We extend our deepest apologies to them."

The brand also confirmed that the employee responsible for the incident has been removed of all duties, and immediate disciplinary action, including suspension, has been taken. To prevent similar occurrences in the future, L'Occitane will 'introduce a thorough and ongoing training program for all employees.' "This program will emphasise the critical importance of respecting the copyrights, portrait rights, publicity rights, and privacy of our brand ambassador."

"We will ensure that every employee thoroughly understands and adheres to these principles, and we will approach this process with a strong sense of responsibility."

However, fans remained dissatisfied with the employee's suspension alone. Numerous CARATs called for the employee's termination after local reports revealed that the L'Occitane staff member had shared SEVENTEEN Mingyu's photos on their personal social media, with a caption that said, "Mingyu took up most of my photo album… I couldn't delete them because I was nervous. I guess I should take care of it now."

Fans of the prominent artist blurred out the inappropriately shared images, advocating for the protection of their cherished singer. Hashtags such as "#ProtectMingyu" surged on social media as the outraged fanbase condemned the offensive act. A user said, "It is already wrong that you filmed him using your personal device unauthorised yet you have the audacity to post it on socmed." Another added, "Just because he is a male, it’s not a free pass to post inappropriate photos!"

ALSO READ: BTS Best Kpop Dance Challenge Videos: Jungkook's 'Perfect Night' With LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans' 'Hype Boy' V And More

ALSO READ: Every BTS Project Releasing In September: Upcoming New Releases By V, Jungkook, Jimin, JHope, RM, Suga And Jin