Actress Jeon Ji-hyun (43), who is starring in Disney+'s original series ‘North Star’, has sparked outrage among Chinese netizens over lines related to China. However, the ‘North Star’ streaming service is not officially supported in China at this time.
On the 21st (local time), Hong Kong media reported that a scene in which Jeon Ji-hyun, the lead of ‘North Star’, says, “Why does China prefer war? A nuclear bomb could fall in the border area,” has been edited and circulated on Chinese social media.
The controversial scene appeared in episode 4. The character Seo Mun-joo (played by Jeon Ji-hyun), a presidential candidate and former UN ambassador, says, “Why does China prefer war? A nuclear bomb could fall in the border area.” Additionally, the filming location is set in a Hong Kong shantytown, and there are claims that the drama is instilling a negative image of China, citing scenes where a carpet with the five-star symbol representing China is stepped on and the villain speaks Chinese. There are even claims that Jeon Ji-hyun deliberately distorted the pronunciation of a poem by the character Lee Baek.
As a result, claims of distorting and insulting China's image have spread online, leading to fierce criticism on Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, which has even escalated to advertising. Advertisements for cosmetics and watch brands that Jeon Ji-hyun models for have been pulled in China, and a boycott movement is reportedly underway. Some have even argued that “the ban on Korean content should not be lifted.”
Of course, there are opinions stating, “Only some scenes have spread without context, leading to misunderstandings,” and that the full context of the dialogue should be considered, but this is insufficient to quell the strong public sentiment.
However, Disney+ and Netflix are not officially available in China. While it is possible to access them through alternative channels, the majority of ways to watch ‘North Star’ in China are merely “illegal viewing” as long as there is no official service.
Despite this reality, some Chinese netizens, who are completely unaware of the issues surrounding “illegal viewing,” are reacting immediately to globally popular series like Netflix's ‘Squid Game’ and Disney+'s ‘Moving’.
Moreover, there have been controversies recently over a cooking competition show in China that seems to have copied the variety show ‘Black and White Chef’, as well as the distribution of illegal merchandise that disregards copyright and portrait rights.
In response, Professor Seo Kyung-deok from Sungshin Women's University has repeatedly criticized, stating, “Illegal viewing has become a daily occurrence in China, and it is even more astonishing that they feel no shame about it. It is truly pathetic that they not only engage in illegal viewing but also infringe on portrait rights to profit from it.”
[Geum Bit-na, MK Sports Reporter]
