“Isn’t it Irene”? Virtual Human Ambassador of the Korea Tourism Organization generated a sensation by being Irene lookalike
Virtual human “Lizzie Yeo”, honorary ambassador of the Korea Tourism Organization, is said to resemble Irene (Red Velvet).
On the 19th, Lee Byung-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, compared the photos of Lizzie Yeo and Red Velvet’s Irene during a parliamentary audit of the Korea Tourism Organization.
Lee pointed out that although the Korea Tourism Organization’s attempt to introduce virtual humans was out of good will, there were problems such as infringement of portrait rights and illegal purchases of followers.
On this day, Representative Lee asked, “Did you sign a portrait rights contract with Irene and other faces?”
Shin Sang-yong, Acting President of the Korea Tourism Organization, said, “We did not sign a portrait contract,” adding, “We did not model after a specific person”.
Representative Lee pointed out once again, saying, “It is very wrong to encourage unrealistic appearance supremacy”.
He also mentioned the purchase of followers for economic gains.
Representative Lee said, “The bigger problem with Lizzie Yeo is that the Korea Tourism Organization paid for followers,” and added, “I checked the accounts, and the operator said it did so in the process of promoting them through a marketing agency, but isn’t the Korea Tourism Organization responsible?”
According to JTBC, many of Lizzie Yeo’s social media followers were confirmed to be “fake accounts” bought with money.
The number of fake subscribers was 3.000 last month and 5.100 this month.
In response, Shin Sang-yong said, “We have a responsibility to manage it more thoroughly. It was not supposed to happen and I will take firm action,” he replied.
An official from the Korea Tourism Organization said, “We confirmed that the agency mobilized a fake account without consultation with the company, and deleted 8.100 followers”, adding that, “We are considering legal measures against the agency”.
The organization said it would find out if there were more fake accounts and would review legal measures such as claiming damages against the operator.
“Lizzie Yeo” appeared in December last year under the image of “22-year-old female influencer” and was selected as an honorary ambassador of the Korea Tourism Organization in July.
After the release, there were criticisms about the appearance, and the organization said, “When planning Lizzie Yeo, we analyzed and combined 50.000 combinations of eyes, nose, and mouth that MZ generation prefers the most”.
Image: Lizzie Yeo and Red Velvet SNS, Dispatch, JTBC
Source: dispatch
