 A man passes by a Calvin Klein advertisement in Myeongdong, Central Seoul, last week. This billboard drawsn some criticisms for being overly sexual. / Korea Times |
By Oh Young-jin
Staff Reporter
Following the article in Thursday’s edition of The Korea Times about reactions to a big billboard advertisement with the photo of two models in a suggestive pose in Myeongdong, Seoul, a spokeswoman for Calvin Klein Jeans Korea said, “We didn’t seek approval from the city or the Junggu Ward Office because it is not an advertisement but a display to convey our new products to the public.
“But, if the city or the ward office finds any problem with it, we are ready to accommodate their request,” she told The Korea Times over the phone.
She said that the display was put up in September but will be taken down at the end of this month.
“We have not received any complaints,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Jungku Ward Office said that a team was sent Thursday to take a photo of the Calvin Klein installation to determine whether it was an illegal advertisement.
“We are processing the result of our field investigation but a decision will likely be made next week,” an official said.
She confirmed that Calvin Klein didn’t request permission for the installation.
“If we determine it is an illegal installation, we will notify the shop of our decision,” she said, adding that time will be given to allow the shop owner to comply with the decision. “We expect that they would bring it down, if we determine it to be illegal.”
The Calvin Klein billboard is located at the entrance of a subway exit in downtown Seoul, with an oversized photo showing two scantily clad models embracing each other.
Asked how they felt about it, some passersby worried about the negative effects it could have on young people’s body image and self-esteem, while others dismissed it as an ad based on the concept that sex sells.
But most, who responded to an interview by The Korea Times, said that it was nothing out of ordinary, with some commenting ads of such a nature are quite common in upscale shopping districts in Seoul.
However, senior citizens said that they felt offended and embarrassed because the models were almost naked.
foolsdie@koreatimes.co.kr
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