A serious incident involving SEVENTEEN‘s Mingyu has led to an official apology from the French luxury brand L’Occitane. The brand found itself at the center of controversy after one of its employees leaked private photos of the popular K-pop star, sparking outrage among fans and prompting the brand to take swift action.

The Incident: Leaked Photos of Mingyu

The situation began when an employee of L’Occitane shared unauthorized photos of Mingyu on their personal social media account. The photos were taken during a shoot for the brand, where Mingyu served as the Asia Ambassador. The employee posted the photos with a caption that read:

“Mingyu took up most of my photo album… I couldn’t delete them because I was nervous. I guess I should take care of it now.”

The photos in question exposed more of Mingyu’s body than intended, leading to fans adding gray blocks to the images in an effort to protect his privacy.

L’Occitane’s Response and Apology

In response to the incident, L’Occitane Korea released an official apology in English, expressing regret and taking full responsibility for the breach of privacy. The brand stated:

“This is L’Occitane Korea.
We sincerely apologize for the recent incident involving the unauthorized release of photos from the L’Occitane Asia Ambassador campaign, which were improperly distributed on the personal social media account of one of our employees. We acknowledge that there is no excuse for this breach and fully accept responsibility for what has occurred.
We take this matter with the utmost seriousness, and we deeply regret the distress caused to the artist and all the fans. We extend our deepest apologies to them.”

The company emphasized that the employee involved had been suspended and would no longer be involved in any duties related to the brand. The statement continued:

“The employee involved has been completely removed from all duties, and immediate disciplinary action (Suspension) has been enforced.”

Preventive Measures to Avoid Future Incidents

To ensure that such an incident does not happen again, L’Occitane Korea announced plans to implement a comprehensive training program for all employees. This program will focus on the importance of respecting the rights and privacy of their brand ambassadors, including copyrights, portrait rights, and publicity rights. The brand affirmed:

“To prevent such incidents in the future, we will implement a comprehensive and regular training program for all employees. This program will emphasize the critical importance of respecting the copyrights, portrait rights, publicity rights, and privacy of our brand ambassador.
We will ensure that every employee thoroughly understands and adheres to these principles, and we will approach this process with a strong sense of responsibility.”

The incident has sparked significant concern among fans of SEVENTEEN and the broader public, highlighting the importance of privacy and respect in the entertainment industry. L’Occitane has expressed deep regret for the occurrence, acknowledging the distress caused to Mingyu and his supporters. The brand’s commitment to addressing the situation and preventing future breaches will be closely watched by fans and industry observers alike.

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