Netflix’s new animated series ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters,’ featuring K-pop idols as its subject matter, is sweeping the globe since its release, and Chinese netizens are once again making baseless claims that “Korea stole our culture.”
According to FlixPatrol, an online video service (OTT) ranking aggregator, the series, released on June 20th, ranked #1 in the film category worldwide. It topped charts in a total of 26 countries, including Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Mexico, and Japan, continuing its box office success. Amidst this, some Chinese netizens are sparking controversy by making absurd claims that the series stole Chinese culture due to the Korean elements featured in the show.
As of June 24th, approximately 1,000 reviews related to ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ have been posted on Douban, China’s largest review site.
Chinese netizens are continuing to make nonsensical arguments such as, “They plagiarized Chinese culture,” “Why are they incorporating Chinese elements into Korean things?” and “Chinese knots appear multiple times in the movie.”
Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University commented, “Currently, Netflix is not officially available in China, so it appears they illegally watched ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ and then left reviews.”
He continued, “Illegal viewing has become commonplace in China. It’s even more shocking that they feel no shame about it.”
Professor Seo stated, “Instead of making the absurd claim that ‘Korea stole Chinese culture,’ Chinese netizens should first learn to respect the cultures of other countries.”
Written by Heo Ji Hyeong Translated by Lee So Yun