Actress Ha Ji-won's image used in Taiwan election poster; fan page apologizes

A political campaign in Taiwan has landed in hot water after an unauthorized photo of South Korean actress Ha Ji-won was used in an election advertisement. The image, which featured Ha Ji-won in traditional Amis attire alongside politician You Shu-zhen, was reportedly altered with AI and appeared on a political donation poster.

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Ha Ji-won has never authorized any candidate, campaign team, political organization, or any third party to use her portrait for election and political promotion, or political fundraising.

Ha Ji-won's management agency, Aura Entertainment, issued a strong statement through its lawyers, clarifying that the actress has never granted permission for her likeness to be used in any election campaigns, political propaganda, or fundraising activities. The agency emphasized that Ha Ji-won and her company have not endorsed any specific candidate and demanded the immediate removal of all such promotional materials, warning of legal action against further dissemination.

The campaign team for You Shu-zhen, the mayoral candidate for Ji'an Township, distanced itself from the unauthorized use, stating that the offending fan page was not an official account. The administrator of the fan page issued an apology, attributing the mistake to personal action and even attaching a receipt for a 5,000 New Taiwan Dollar donation to a child welfare organization. However, this explanation was met with widespread mockery online, with netizens criticizing the "editor did it" defense and the perceived deflection of responsibility.

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It was the editor's personal behavior and has nothing to do with You's team.

This incident is not the first time You Shu-zhen's campaign has faced criticism for using unauthorized imagery. Previously, the campaign was criticized for using a promotional video featuring characters from the anime "One Piece." The recurring nature of these controversies has led to public ridicule, with many questioning the competence of the campaign team and the candidate herself.

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It's always the editor's fault, and this time the poor editor is not only scapegoated but also has to donate NT$5,000!