Foreign Model Seriously Injured During Advertisement Shoot Left in Pain for Over a Year

It has come to light that a foreign model active in the Republic of Korea suffered a serious injury during a credit card advertisement shoot and has been left in pain without receiving appropriate compensation.

On the 13th, JTBC's "Incident Report" broadcasted the unfortunate story of model A, who experienced an unexpected accident during an advertisement shoot last July.

A entered Korea in 2016 and began his full-fledged modeling career in 2018, primarily shooting dynamic ads for sportswear and brands. Although he married and later divorced a Korean woman, he has been raising his 6-year-old daughter while maintaining a cordial relationship with his ex-wife.

Lack of Safety Measures Leading to Severe Injuries

In July of last year, A participated in a shoot for a credit card company and unexpectedly faced a major accident while performing dynamic poses on a trampoline.

A had meticulously checked for safety and insurance coverage during the casting process, and the agency reassured him, stating, "It's safe, so don't worry."

However, the actual shoot site only had a thin mat laid next to the trampoline, and no other safety equipment was in place. As a result, A suffered a serious head injury after colliding with the ground and was urgently transported to a university hospital for emergency surgery.

Examinations revealed that A had sustained a broken neck and dislocation—serious injuries that necessitated an anterior cervical fusion surgery, followed by a secondary procedure for posterior stabilization of cervical vertebrae 4, 5, and 6.

Fortunately, he survived but is now facing a lifetime of aftereffects, living in constant pain that makes even basic daily activities extremely challenging.

Companies' Evasion of Responsibility and Inadequate Compensation Offers

What further troubled A after the accident was the irresponsible attitude of the related companies. A's ex-wife recounted, "He was injured while being told to perform actions on the trampoline, but the other side claimed he 'climbed on the trampoline and had the accident himself.'"

"When I protested, asking, 'How could such an injury occur without hitting anything?' they responded that 'it was just bad luck. We have no fault. My ex-husband simply jumped alone and had an accident due to misfortune,'" she said, highlighting their attempt to evade responsibility.

A expressed his distress, stating, "I haven’t received any money or apology. Since the accident, there has been no communication whatsoever, and I haven't seen their faces. I can't do anything now. I'm just stuck at home, unable to work… It hurts so much."

The advertisement in question was produced through a complicated structure, where the credit card company outsourced to an agency, and A was recruited through a modeling agency. As of now, none of the companies are clearly taking responsibility.

The production company in charge of the shoot maintained that "the accident was unfortunate," while the modeling agency offered a compensation amount that was drastically insufficient.

They proposed 30 million won for future disability compensation, separate from the approximately 18 million won in medical expenses already incurred, while requesting to lower the offer by 3 million won due to being a small company.

Ultimately, A rejected the agency's proposal and had to bear all surgical and medical expenses himself. It has been reported that the company only suggested meeting with the victim to discuss compensation after the investigation began.

Image Source: jtbc 'Incident Report', resource photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank