Korean Drama Banned... China Illegally Distributes and Copies 'Ojingeo Game'

After Hanhanryeong, Korean Drama and Movie Viewing Banned in China
Illegal Distribution of 'Ojingeo Game' on Over 60 Sites

'Squid Game' T-shirts illegally sold on Taobao. / Photo by Professor Seokyung Deok on Instagram capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The Netflix original drama 'Ojingeo Game' (Squid Game) is reportedly being illegally distributed in China.

Jang Ha-sung, the South Korean Ambassador to China, stated during the National Assembly inspection of the embassy on the morning of the 6th, "It has been confirmed that 'Ojingeo Game,' which is currently popular worldwide, is being illegally distributed on more than 60 websites in China."

Currently, since the deployment of THAAD in South Korea was confirmed in July 2016, China has imposed retaliatory measures known as the Hanhanryeong (ban on Korean cultural content), which prohibits the distribution of new Korean films and dramas, and Netflix services are not available. However, contrary to this ban, illegal downloads of 'Ojingeo Game' are rampant locally.

Moreover, on the Chinese social networking service (SNS) Weibo, the hashtag '#OjingeoGame' has accumulated 1.77 billion views, and shopping apps such as Taobao continue to sell 'Ojingeo Game'-related products like dalgona candy, masks, and clothing.

Earlier, Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University sharply criticized Chinese netizens' illegal downloads of 'Ojingeo Game' on his social media on the 5th, saying, "They should first learn to respect other countries' cultures."

Professor Seo criticized, "The major problem is that illegal downloads are rampant again in China, and shopping apps are even selling the green tracksuit made famous by the drama with the Chinese character for 'China' inserted, using photos of actor Lee Jung-jae."

He added, "The issue of illegal downloads and distribution by Chinese netizens has been repeated for a long time. There have also been many cases of copying Korean content. As Korean content such as 'Ojingeo Game' and 'Kingdom' continues to attract global attention, it seems China feels a great sense of crisis. This can be seen as a manifestation of a strong fear that cultural leadership in Asia is shifting to Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.