Kwon Eunbi already made her mark in the K-pop industry, as the soloist ventured by debuting with IZ*ONE in 2018, to making her solo debut in 2021.
In 2023, the soloist went viral for her performance at the Waterbomb Seoul 2023, where she gained traction due to her stage presence and appeal. Ever since she earned her title as the newest "Waterbomb Goddess," the soloist eventually skyrocketed to popularity on the K-pop radar.
Apart from her appearances in variety shows, promotions for her music releases, and social media updates, Eunbi has also secured several endorsement deals with multiple brands such as Sprite, Pepsi, Nine Wishes, Jadam Chicken, Lenstown, and many more.
However, fans weren't happy with Woollim Entertainment due to Eunbi's newest endorsement deal with the RPG mobile game Cat Fantasy, a game that is developed by FUNDOLL.
On May 20, the app's Korean social media account uploaded a mysterious post, which features a quiz regarding the game's next promotional model.
<캣 판타지> 홍보 모델 퀴즈!
5월 24일, <캣 판타지>에 매력적인 홍보 모델이 등장합니다~! 과연 누구일까요~?! 관련 키워드를 보고 떠오르는 인물을 댓글로 적어주세요! <캣 판타지>의 홍보모델은 5월 24일 공개됩니다! 많은 기대 부탁드립니다 ❛‿˂̵✧
Eventually, RUBIs found out that Eunbi would be the next model for the game, leading them to call out Woollim Entertainment. Fans lambasted the agency and expressed their concerns regarding the sexualization of the idol. Here's how they reacted:
WE DON'T WANT THIS! I don't want to see Eunbi's image associated with this. What were you thinking where to accept this?? I am extremely disappointed. Please fix this mistake you made @woollim_enthttps://t.co/9MnhUIW04w
Kwon Eunbi named summer queen, one of the most popular up & coming soloists, trending on naver whenever she’s on variety shows, sprite ambassador, music show win, #3 on billboard world digital song sales chart with her DEBUT.
— sara ❀˖°🍓 CRAZY (positive) (@HllCHAN_) May 20, 2024
for those who are wondering why im mad here is the post that clearly showing who is going to be their so called promotional model. all those hints are pointing to only one person that we all love dearly but that damn company is crazy for accepting this! @woollim_ent@KWONEUNBIhttps://t.co/4RDjSM93zn
In other news, Eunbi's agency released an official statement on August 29, 2023, which declared legal action against any form of sexual harassment and malicious intent.
Read the full statement below:
"Hello. This is Woollim Entertainment.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the fans who have always loved and supported our artist, Kwon Eunbi.
Kwon Eunbi, an artist under Woollim Entertainment, has been active and successful in her solo activities, and has established herself as an all-rounder thanks to the love her fans have given.
Lately, we have monitored malicious posts regarding Kwon Eunbi, including sexual harassment, defamation, circulation of false information, and invasion of privacy. Such posts were checked on numerous online communities, social media, and YouTube.
We are aware of the inappropriate expression in the post, and by collecting relevant data and proof through monitoring, we have determined that the seriousness of the situation can no longer be overlooked or ignored.
In the future, we will do our best to protect our artists by actively collecting evidence and self-monitoring for malicious posts and responding to them without hesitation if they keep being discovered in the future. We ask fans for their cooperation in finding posts or criminal acts and report them to the official email account.
Lastly, we at Woollim Entertainment will do our best to protect our artists' personal rights and we ask fans to give unsparing love and support to Kwon Eunbi, who is shining brightly.
Thank you."
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