Campaigns hit for unauthorized use of celebrities

By Yi Whan-woo

Celebrities including pop sensation Psy are voicing concern about unauthorized use of their songs or images during the hotly-contested homestretch of the presidential campaign.

Psy, who recently rose to stardom with his viral hit “Gangnam Style” and popular actor Hyun Bin, have each complained that their images have been used on banners and posters supporting liberal contender Moon Jae-in.

Pop groups “Secret” and “T-ara,” meanwhile, have been locked in disputes with the ruling Saenuri Party, which failed to pay royalties after it used modified versions of their songs while campaigning for standard bearer Park Geun-hye.

The complaints came ahead of Wednesday’s presidential election that pits conservative Park and Moon of the Democratic United Party (DUP) in a race too close to call.

In Daejeon, banners were spotted that featured a photo of Psy and carried the slogan, “Oppa will definitely vote!” The word “oppa,” a word used by females to describe older boyfriends or older brothers, is repeated in the chorus of the artist’s runaway hit.

The banners were seen to be supportive of Moon as they were colored yellow, the symbolic color of the DUP.

YG Entertainment, the management agency for Psy, said it had not authorized use of his photos for political parties and that it was “embarrassed” by the incident.

“We’ll make sure to find out who made the banners and their purpose for doing so,” an official for the agency said.

A Moon support group called “Ivy20s’ Choice” used a photo of Hyun Bin in military uniform on posters around the country, with the title “We’re the invincible army of voters.” The actor has been praised for completing his mandatory military duty on Dec. 6.

The actor’s management agency complained to the DUP for the apparent move to exploit his image. The liberal party reportedly took responsibility for the posters, apologizing and banning their use.

The Saenuri Party, meanwhile, faced criticism for failing to pay royalties after modifying and using 18 K-pop songs, including the recent hits such as “Madonna” by Secret and “Roly Poly” by T-ara. The conservatives said they made the necessary payments to settle the escalating dispute.

Industry insiders said making use of celebrities can be an effective strategy at the tail end of a close campaign.

“However, the candidates should keep in mind that some celebrities refrain from throwing their support behind a specific candidate,” a management agency official said. “And use of photos and songs without permission is very rude and impolite.”