Sinji, “This time, I won’t let it slide” against the misuse of past photos for political promotion
Sinji, a member of the group Koyote, has taken a strong stance against netizens who used her past photos without permission for political propaganda. As awareness grows about the issue of celebrities’ public images being arbitrarily used for political messages, Sinji has garnered attention by promising a firm response to this incident.
The issue began on May 27th when a social media user posted a photo of Sinji with the caption “Vote for candidate 2, for the nation and the people, fighting for the national president Kim Moon-soo.” This made it appear as if Sinji was endorsing a specific politician. However, the photo was taken in the past at an event upon a fan’s request and had no political intentions. Sinji quickly responded on her own social media, stating, “This photo is unrelated to politics. It was taken after the event upon a fan’s request, and unauthorized use will be legally dealt with.” She demanded the photo to be deleted and vowed to take action through her agency. Sinji expressed strong dissatisfaction with the repeated misuse of images, saying, “It seems like such incidents occur frequently due to weak laws. It’s unfair that celebrities are constantly used as references.” She also emphasized that this issue is a personal matter and should not be blamed on her agency. This case clearly demonstrates the risk of influential celebrities’ images being exploited for political purposes. Sinji’s case highlights the need for stricter standards and vigilance to prevent the distortion of public figures’ photos and statements for unintended purposes.