Netizens jumped to the idol’s defence.
Koreaboo
1 hour ago
A post about aespa’s Winter has sparked heated debate among Korean netizens after claims that she may have violated advertising rules.
| @imwinter/Instagram
The issue started after Winter, who is currently known as a model for Toreta, was seen holding a bottle of Pocari Sweat at the Seoul Jazz Festival.
| Pann
Pocari Sweat and Toreta are both popular electrolyte drinks designed for hydration and the replenishment of minerals lost through sweating. They compete in the same market, targeting everyday hydration and sports recovery, with Pocari Sweat being the more established brand and Toreta positioned as a newer rival.
| Pann
Brand deals have become a major part of K-Pop idols’ careers, especially when gauging their popularity and earnings. Hence why OP questioned whether this could be considered a breach of advertising law and suggested it might affect her current contract.
| Pann
Isn’t this a violation of advertising laws?
She’s a Toreta model, but yesterday at the Seoul Jazz Festival, she was repeatedly photographed holding Pocari Sweat. Looks like one of her few endorsement deals is going to disappear.
— Viral post on Pann
The post went viral, prompting netizens to quickly react. In the comments, fellow Koreans were not having it! Many pushed back against the claim and criticized the original poster for overinterpreting the situation.
| Pann
- “OP, seriously… You should get tested for borderline intellectual disability….”
- “LOL, if you seriously wrote this, then as the comment above said, go get a borderline test. And honestly, if you knew this was a forced take but still wrote it stubbornly, then good luck to you.”
- “If the person next to her drinks a different brand, are you going to snatch it and throw it away, too? LOL And why are you going on about advertising law, girl, the advertiser is the one who signs the deal anyway.”
- “Wow, Winter really gets a hate post every day. Her level of buzz is insane. Toreta Zero is actually low-cal and tastes good, drink up lol.”
- “OP, are you seriously an idiot…?”