Jun Ji Hyun has officially ended her long-term contract with the outdoor brand NEPA.
The Hallyu star has been the company's brand ambassador for eight years and their main muse for various collections.
With this, NEPA released a statement officially announcing that they will not be renewing their contract with the actress.
"Our exclusive modeling contract with Jun Ji Hyun has come to an end after 8 years. We have thoroughly discussed this earlier and we have now decided to part ways and support each other from afar," the statement reads.
Moreover, they also praised the CF queen for being their representative and endorsing the domestic outdoor market through her stunning visuals and "stylishness that leads trends."
Unfortunately, due to the brand's decision to end their ties with the "The Legend of the Blue Sea" star, others speculated that this might be because of the controversy involving "Jirisan."
Did NEPA End Their Contract with Jun Ji Hyun Because of the 'Jirisan' Advertisement Controversy?
The outdoor company faced criticism due to their "excessive" product placement in Jun Ji Hyun's Kdrama "Jirisan."
At the height of the series, viewers noted that it affected the quality of the program with its "appropriate" endorsements.
In various online communities, an article titled "NEPA is publicly promoting the drama Jirisan" circulated, noting that the tvN series was "ruined" because of the advertisement seen on the Kdrama.
Over social media, viewers expressed how the weekend series looked like a commercial ad for the excessive product placement.
"Jirisan" is a thriller mystery drama that revolves around the park ranger and the unexplainable mystery inside Jirisan National Park, the oldest and largest national park in South Korea.
READ MORE: Jun Ji Hyun Says They Have 'A Lot of Memories' Filming 'Jirisan' + Finale Episode Fails to Beat Personal Best In Viewership Ratings
In the drama, Jun Ji Hyun plays the legendary park ranger Seo Yi Kang, who faced a tragic incident while rescuing her junior Kang Hyun Jo, played by Ju Ji Hoon, who was then a rookie ranger.
Apart from the duo, "Jirisan" includes a state studded cast lineup starting with Sung Dong Il as chief park ranger Jo Dae Jin, Oh Jung Se as ranger Jung Goo Young and Jo Han Chul as team leader Park Il Hae.
In addition, Go Min Si, who is also NEPA's brand ambassador, played Jun Ji Hyun's assistant ranger.
"Jirisan" is the Hallyu star's Kdrama come back after the 2016 hit series "The Legend of the Blue Sea" however, she did a bit part in "Kingdom: Season 2" and headlined the spin-off "Kingdom: Ashin of the North" where she reprised her role as Ashin.
Interestingly, Jun Ji Hyun remained the unbeatable CF queen as she continued to endorse top-notch brands, including clothing, tech, beauty brand, and more.
Jun Ji Hyun Among the Kdrama Actress Who Showed Stellar Performance in 2021
From rising stars to sought-after stars, Jun Ji Hyun joins Kim Go Eun, Han So Hee, Kim So Yeon as the most talked-about female leads in 2021.
According to Soompi, she once again proved her impressive acting skills portraying Seo Yi Jang in "Jirisan."
IN CASE YOU MISSED: Hallyu Queens Song Hye Kyo and Jun Ji Hyun are Kdrama's Highest Paid Actresses
