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The fan voting platform, Giftree, has shared the reason behind the sudden suspension of a subway advertisement featuring Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon. The ad, which won first place in a fan vote last November, sparked unexpected controversy.
On January 22, Giftree posted a statement explaining, "The subway ad featuring Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon, which began on January 17, was suspended after over 40 complaints were filed with the transit authority. Many of these complaints questioned, ‘Why are the two of them featured together?’"
The platform revealed that even a single complaint is enough for the transit authority to suspend an ad under their internal policies. They added, "As a result, the advertisement was abruptly taken down."
Originally, the ad was supposed to run from January 13 to January 27 at Konkuk University Station on Seoul Subway Line 7. However, after its removal, Giftree explained that attempts to reinstate it failed. They said, "We submitted the ad design for review at other subway stations, but it was rejected for the same reason due to ongoing complaints."
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In an effort to resolve the issue, the transit authority suggested showing Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon separately for 10 seconds each. However, Giftree stated, "Even with this adjustment, the ad couldn’t proceed because complaints continued to pour in. We were also warned that further complaints could lead to all future advertisements from Giftree being banned."
The platform ended their statement with a plea to fans, saying, "If these complaints keep coming, it could mean that Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon won’t be able to appear in any subway ads in the future. We ask for fans’ understanding and request that no more complaints be filed."
The sudden backlash and suspension of the ad have left fans both confused and upset, as many are wondering why featuring the two talented actors together sparked such an issue.
Source: [1]