Lotte Chilsung addressed the issue regarding Han So Hee's contract as their brand ambassador.

One of the leaders in Korean beverages, the brand has tapped IVE's An Yujin as their model for the alcoholic drink Lemon Gin, as well as IU, BLACKPINK Jennie, Park Seo Joon, and BTS as their former ambassadors.

In March 2023, the beverage company introduced Han So Hee as their newest ambassador for soju Chum Churum. Unfortunately, following the rumors regarding the "My Name" star, Lotte Chilsung did not renew the actress' contract.

Han So Hee's Contract With Lotte Chilsung Ends Amid Dating Controversy

At the height of the dating controversy between Ryu Jun Yeol and Han So Hee as well as the alleged "transit love," Lotte Chilsung was among the brands that did not renew their contract with the actress.

"Our contract with Han ended at the beginning of this month, which was before her romance scandal broke out," an official at Lotte Chilsung said in a report.

In addition to this, Korea's Nonghyup (NH) Bank also announced that their exclusive contract with the actress has ended after three years.

With this, the bank declared its intention to select a new celebrity for their upcoming endorsement.

The same went for Lotte Chilsung after rumors sparked that they plan to tap "Queen of Tears" star Kim Ji Won as their latest brand ambassador, replacing Han So Hee.

However, per the report, the company is still "exploring possibilities in regards to the Chum Churum model and "cannot confirm anything" at this time.

Lotte Chilsung Reveals Reason for Replacing Han So Hee as Chum Churum Model

In a new report, a Lotte Chilsung official explained the reason for not renewing Han So Hee's contract after only one year.

To recall, Lotte Chilsung is known for retaining or extending the contracts of their models for multiple years. This includes Bae Suzy, who was with the company for 4 years, as well as Lee Hyori, who represented the brand for 6 years. Shin Min Ah promoted the brand for 2 years.

Although Lotte Chilsung initially mentioned that the contract with the actress had expired, an official from the company further detailed the reason behind the changes.

Hinting that having a clean image is important for representing the brand, the representative pointed out that "overall activities" as an endorser also play a big role.

According to the report, the representative also mentioned that handling negative publicity is also vital for a brand ambassador.

"In Han So Hee's case, she revealed her relationship to the public unilaterally. She engaged in arguments and unilaterally expressed her displeasure; eventually, she was unable to control her emotions and deleted her social media posts.

In the long run, this incident demonstrated how this model might react in such a manner when faced with another issue."

What are your thoughts on Lotte Chilsung's reason to not renew their contract with Han So Hee? Tell us in the comments!

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Written by Geca Flores