“A Bag That Even Your Girlfriend Wants?”… Jo Se-ho, Backlash from Open Sponsorship

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“He’s carrying an EXXX while buying KX for his girlfriend…” (from YouTube comments)

Broadcaster Jo Se-ho has been criticized by the public. The problem arose from a newlywed home video he uploaded to his YouTube channel on the 16th, which was deemed excessive indirect advertisement (PPL).

In the video, Jo Se-ho showcased various parts of his new home. “I was criticized for only showing portions of my house in previous reveals. Today, I will courageously show you more,” he explained.

He showed the living room, bedroom, walk-in closet, and kitchen. During this process, he mentioned the brand of a large bed with lights and even the matching set of chairs.

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In the closet, specific brand products were constantly featured. He showed a C-brand outerwear, saying, “I wore this in New York.” He also stated, “It’s the most comfortable, so I wear it often.”

It resembled a brand showroom. He displayed several t-shirts of the same brand on one side of the walk-in closet. He added, “I hang the clothes I will wear tomorrow here.”

He also mentioned the model names of bags. Jo Se-ho commented, “Young people prefer this bag,” “My girlfriend wants this one,” and “I frequently carry this bag.”

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It didn’t stop there. He immediately visited a department store in Seoul. He went to a brand store, continued to try on C-brand bags, and wore new products.

At the end of the video, captions read, “A time to gain the ‘courage to be my true self’ with C,” and “Find C-brand products at department stores and online stores.”

Despite the introduction that he was preparing for an outing to buy a gift for his girlfriend, it was a paid advertisement. It was indicated twice, “This video includes paid advertisement by C.”

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Subscribers criticized it. Especially, Jo Se-ho is known for enjoying high-end luxury items that cost tens of millions of won. Critics said it doesn’t match his lifestyle.

As the PPL controversy intensified, Jo Se-ho released a statement. On the 17th, he commented on YouTube, “I deeply appreciate the affectionate advice from subscribers.”

He added, “I will sincerely take all subscribers’ words to heart and reflect them in content creation. I ask for your continued interest and honest critiques.”

<Photo=Jo Se-ho YouTube capture>