South Korean soccer star Ahn sues the nation's largest phone

Updated: Wednesday July 24, 2002 06:47 a.m. ET

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korean World Cup star Ahn Jung-hwan has filed a 2 billion won (dlrs 1.7 million) compensation suit against the nation's largest phone company for using his image in advertisements without his approval, his office said Wednesday.

Ahn also sought a court injunction against the airing of the advertisements by KT and its sister cell phone company, KTF.

The dispute arose after 25-year-old Ahn signed a 1 billion won (dlrs 850,000) advertising contract with SK Telecom, South Korea's largest cell phone operator. SK Telecom is a rival of KTF, the nation's No. 2 cell phone operator.

"It's regrettable that we have had to go to court. Efforts to end the dispute amicably have failed," Ahn's office said in a statement.

Ahn's lawyer, Choi Jung-han, said the use of Ahn's image in commercials by a rival company hurts his contract with SK Telecom.

KT and KTF defended their advertisements, saying that they obtained written permission from all South Korean World Cup members, including Ahn, for the use of their images in connection with a scholarship fund established by team captain Hong Myung-bo.

KT and KTF contributed 400 million won (dlrs 3.4 million) to the scholarship for South Korean children wanting to become soccer players.

Ahn says his agreement to let his image used by KT and KTF was only for the scholarship, not for the phone companies.

Ahn, who played for Italy's Perugia, became a national hero after scoring two sensational goals in the World Cup -- a late equalizer against the United States and a golden goal against Italy.

KT and KTF have been airing TV commercials showing images of Ahn, jubilant after scoring the goals.

Helped by Ahn's spectacular play, South Korea moved to the final four in the World Cup which ended on June 31. On the way, it beat Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain and tied with the United States.