Amid the global excitement for Squid Game Season 2, a controversy has surfaced involving the sale of illegal merchandise featuring actor Lee Jung Jae's image on a major Chinese online shopping mall.

Professor Seo Kyung Duk from Sungshin University raised the alarm about the issue, sharing, "I was made aware of this by reports from many netizens. After looking through several Chinese online shopping platforms, I confirmed that illegal merchandise was being sold."

Seo explained that while products related to Squid Game didn’t appear on major platforms like Taobao and Jingdong—where controversy had occurred after Season 1—they were being sold on other platforms like Temu and AliExpress.

The biggest concern, according to Seo, is the "unauthorized use of portrait rights" of actors from the show to create and sell these goods without permission. "Most of the merchandise is being made and sold in China, and it’s a serious issue that actors' images are being exploited for profit," he said.

Following the success of Squid Game Season 1, counterfeit costumes were widely sold on Chinese online shopping malls, with many sellers based in cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Anhui Province, according to reports from the South China Morning Post.

Seo expressed his frustration, stating, "It’s unacceptable that some Chinese netizens are not only illegally streaming content but also profiting from creating illegal merchandise. This has to stop immediately."

Source: [1]

Choi Si Hoon, known from Single’s Inferno and newlywed husband of singer Ailee, is facing backlash after being linked to a controversy from Wavve’s queer reality show ToGetHer.

Fans discovered that Choi is allegedly the CEO of the influencer agency representing Ri Won, a cast member now at the center of a growing scandal.

The situation started when castmate Han Gyeol spoke up, claiming Ri Won once suggested an overseas trip that felt more like a shady meeting than a casual hangout.

“I thought it was a fun vacation invite at first,” Han Gyeol said, “but when they started talking about meals and date-like things, I realized something was wrong. It felt like an inappropriate setup.”
Han Gyeol added, “Using someone’s sexuality as a shield for suspicious actions is not okay in this industry.”

Ri Won responded by saying it was all a misunderstanding and that the trip was mentioned casually during a conversation about food. “We joked about going to that country after talking about food,” Ri Won said.

However, things got more intense when Ri Won admitted to having a past as a 'beotbang' (adult streaming) BJ. “I know I’m not trustworthy right now, and I appeared on TV while hiding my past. That’s why I shared some proof—I was desperate,” Ri Won explained.

Ri Won also shared a blurred message from another cast member that accused them of fake dating and lying about knowing someone from Billboard. “You said you’d introduce me to a Billboard contact. Then give me their name and title,” the message read. “You just keep switching your targets.”

Ri Won replied, “He’s the team leader at Billboard Korea and also my influencer agency CEO.”
This comment led online users to dig deeper—and some claimed the CEO Ri Won mentioned is none other than Choi Si Hoon, Ailee’s husband.

Currently on his honeymoon with Ailee, Choi is now getting unwanted attention. Some netizens brought up his alleged past as an adult BJ and now, his possible involvement in this controversy.

On Ailee’s Instagram post from April 30, one fan wrote, “Unnie, sorry to bother you during your honeymoon, but please search Choi Si Hoon’s name. A female BJ said she’s signed to his company, and he supposedly arranged a meeting for her with a just-turned 19-year-old girl.”

As the issue grew, Ri Won spoke out again on May 1 to calm things down. “The person I mentioned in the messages was just someone who gave me advice,” Ri Won clarified. “He’s not my agency CEO, like some people assumed. I thought he could help with music, but he never made any business offer.”

Ri Won ended by saying, “I’m sorry for causing any confusion and discomfort to others with my personal remarks.”

So far, Choi Si Hoon and Ailee have not made public statements about the situation.

Source: [1]