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Car ad upsets K-pop’s Lee Hyo-ri

January 20, 2015
A screen capture from singer Lee Hyo-ri's Twitter shows a car dealer's advertisement, including the line, "The Tivoli even makes Lee Hyo-ri dance." (Courtesy of Twitter)

A screen capture from singer Lee Hyo-ri’s Twitter shows a car dealer’s advertisement, including the line, “The Tivoli even makes Lee Hyo-ri dance.”
(Courtesy of Twitter)

By Lee Min-hyung

K-pop diva Lee Hyo-ri vented her frustration on social media this week after discovering that some dealers of Ssangyong Motor were using her name in advertisements.

Lee has been a vocal supporter of workers laid off by the automaker in 2012. Last month, she offered to dance in a bikini in front of a Ssangyong Tivoli if the laborers were reinstated.

On Monday, the 35-year-old diva tweeted a photograph of a car dealer’s advertisement. The ad included the line, “The Tivoli even makes Lee Hyo-ri dance.”

Lee Hyo-ri (NEWSis)

Lee Hyo-ri (NEWSis)

“I think I need to make sure they get punished, legally,” Lee tweeted. “I haven’t danced yet.”

Ssangyong officials said the company had nothing to do with the advertisements.

“We know some dealers have taken advantage of her fame in their advertisements,” an official told The Korea Times, asking not to be named. “We notified all our dealers not to do so anymore.”

The strife surrounding Ssangyong Motor began in 2009 when the company laid off 2,646 workers, citing financial difficulties. According to the company, some 450 of those workers were eventually rehired.

Twenty-six workers or their family members have reportedly died since 2009 either by suicide or disease.

Last week, Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, which took over Ssangyong Motor in 2011, said during a visit to Seoul last week that he would consider rehiring the workers if the company turns a steady profit.

Last month, Lee hinted that she was willing to be a model for the Tivoli, free of charge, if the company rehired the men. The company said it had already finished filming commercials for the SUV.

One Comment

  1. maggie

    March 30, 2015 at 7:58 PM

    so…she doesnt like her things, name being used without permission!!??? her whole solo career is a mirror off of american pop artists songs, image and concepts. heck..alot of it is a direct rip off.

    Reply