[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] OS Entertainment has announced it will take legal action against Restaurant A, located in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, for promoting its grand opening using the name and photo of its artist Heo Gak without permission.

In a statement posted on its official social media accounts on the 30th, OS Entertainment stated, “We have confirmed that Restaurant A used Heo Gak’s name and photo in its promotional materials for the grand opening event held on the 29th, making it appear as though he was scheduled to appear, which caused confusion and harm to customers who visited the venue.”
OS Entertainment explained, “On the 4th, Restaurant A requested that Heo Gak’s twin brother, singer Heo Gong, perform at the opening event, and Heo Gong accepted the offer.” They added, “Neither Heo Gak nor his agency had ever received a request or booking for the event, nor were they aware of Heo Gong’s appearance.”
According to the statement, OS Entertainment confirmed on the 17th, through reports from fans, that promotional material stating Heo Gak was scheduled to perform at the opening event had been posted in the information section of Restaurant A’s portal site. The restaurant apologized, explaining that the promotional material was created and posted as if Heo Gak were appearing due to an administrative error.
OS Entertainment subsequently demanded that the company remove the promotional material, issue a correction, and provide an official apology. Although Heo Gak’s name and photo were subsequently removed from the event page, no official apology was posted. OS Entertainment claimed that it was confirmed that the original promotional material remained on-site on the day of the event.
OS Entertainment stated, “There were people who made reservations or visited the venue based on the promotion stating that Heo Gak would be appearing, and we have also confirmed instances where people were waiting for Heo Gak on-site or were told that he would arrive shortly.”
They went on to emphasize, “Heo Gak never promised to appear at this event nor was he ever booked to do so, and he had absolutely no involvement in any way regarding this false promotion.”
OS Entertainment is currently conducting a legal review regarding the unauthorized commercial use of Heo Gak’s name and likeness, as well as infringements on his reputation and rights resulting from the false promotion.
OS Entertainment stated, “We plan to take all possible civil and criminal legal measures if necessary,” adding, “We express our regret to the event attendees who have experienced confusion and harm due to this incident, and we will actively take all necessary measures to protect the rights and reputation of our artist, Heo Gak.”