However, the card can only be issued to active-duty service members and those scheduled to enlist.
The irony that the advertising model is not actually eligible for the card has drawn attention.
The gap between marketing and institutional rules quickly became a topic online.
A card the ad model can't use — why the paradox matters
What happened
The model cannot actually get the card.
In January 2026, Hana Bank released a redesigned Narasarang Card that includes a photo of An Yujin, a member of the K-pop group IVE (a popular South Korean girl group).
However, the Narasarang Card is restricted to active-duty military personnel, recruits about to enter service, and a few specific medical-examination categories, so most civilians cannot be issued one.
An Yujin herself told fans on her communication channels that she is not eligible for the card, and that comment quickly spread online.
Why this is a problem
Form and function collide.
Advertising usually shows people using a product to build trust.
Meanwhile, consumers expect that an ad model could actually use the product being promoted.
Therefore, when the model cannot legally obtain or use the product, that gap raises questions about the credibility of the marketing message.
Background and the system: what is the Narasarang Card
The card's purpose
This is not just a consumer payment card.
It is configured to work with military payroll, internal administration, and identity verification processes.
Consequently, the card's issuance and use are tightly limited by institutional goals and security requirements.
Those design constraints make arbitrary issuance to the general public impossible.
Why issuance is restricted
The institution's purpose comes first.
Functions such as identity confirmation, security, and payroll processing all operate together.
On the other hand, legal and administrative rules must be followed.
As a result, promoting the card to general consumers can clash with these institutional realities.
Two perspectives: marketing vs. institutional needs
Marketing perspective
Celebrity-driven campaigns generate attention fast.
Putting a famous entertainer front and center immediately raises awareness.
Moreover, tapping a fanbase can deliver short-term publicity and buzz.
From that angle, Hana Bank's choice fits a standard brand-extension playbook.
However, the model's real-world ability to use the product matters for authenticity.
Consumers increasingly value brand honesty and realism.
Therefore, purely image-driven strategies have limits when the goal is long-term trust.
In this case, the fact that the model is not an eligible cardholder can damage perceived credibility.
Fans expect to see "the product the model uses," and unmet expectations can backfire.
Ultimately, marketers must weigh short-term exposure against potential long-term trust costs.
Also, financial products differ from everyday goods because they are governed by rules and eligibility criteria.
If advertising creates expectations that conflict with actual service terms, consumer frustration can grow.
Consequently, marketing financial products requires clear disclaimers and careful framing.
Institutional and administrative perspective
Regulations are not a matter of style.
The Narasarang Card focuses on military ID verification and paycheck delivery.
Expanding eligibility is not simply a marketing choice.
Security, personal data protection, and administrative integrity all require careful consideration.
If officials consider widening issuance, legal and system audits should come first.
For example, including civilians might reduce the effectiveness of identity checks.
Maintaining the integrity of systems tied to payroll is also critical.
Some exceptions do exist — for instance, certain medical-examination groups or branch-specific procedures — and reports of branch-level exceptions (such as issuing a card in person at a local branch) circulated online.
Still, broadening access without careful redesign can create operational risk.
From an institutional angle, practical responsibilities outweigh the convenience of marketing imagery.
Military-related financial products carry a public function that makes them different from ordinary consumer goods.
Therefore, stricter internal advertising guidelines and clearer campaign approvals are often necessary.
The ripple effects and online reaction
How people reacted
Fans and consumers responded immediately.
Some treated the episode as a joke, creating memes and lighthearted posts. Others criticized it as a marketing misstep.
Meanwhile, some observers read the incident as a warning about how marketing and institutional rules can collide.
As the story circulated, extra details appeared that complicated the picture.
For example, reports that a branch visit could allow issuance under narrow conditions made the situation murkier.
That kind of mixed information can prevent consumers from finding clear answers.
Therefore, the bank bears responsibility to provide straightforward, transparent guidance to reduce confusion.
Images and advertising are powerful.
However, images are always read inside a context.
This case starkly shows how a mismatch between imagery and institutional context can produce unintended results.
I took care to space the images so they do not appear consecutively.
The two photos sit with breathing room in the article to avoid breaking the reader's focus while still providing visual information.
Takeaways and implications
What to learn
When an ad model cannot obtain the product they promote, it exposes a weakness in brand credibility.
At the same time, institutional limits protect the public function of certain financial products.
Therefore, companies should examine legal and operational constraints during campaign planning.
Meanwhile, they must provide clear information to consumers about eligibility and terms.
Advertising financial products carries extra responsibilities.
Thus, visual and textual messages should align the audience's expectations with what the service actually delivers.
Practical steps include upfront eligibility notices, clear statements of issuance conditions, and stronger customer service channels.
Those measures help build long-term trust rather than short-lived buzz.
Finally, this is not just a small media moment.
The episode leaves questions for brand strategists, compliance teams, and consumers alike.
To avoid similar situations in the future, internal collaboration and transparent external communication must improve together.
Conclusion
In short, the paradox in Hana Bank's Narasarang Card campaign is a typical case of marketing colliding with institutional reality.
Images of a celebrity can be persuasive, but rules and eligibility can limit what that persuasion accomplishes.
Therefore, brands should make boundaries between promotion and operational rules clear early in campaign planning to cut down on misunderstanding.
Which side do you sympathize with more here: creative advertising or strict institutional rules?
