Controversy Over Historical Distortion 'Seolgwanghwa' Ranks Top 5 in 5 Countries on Disney+

Protest Emails Flood Disney Headquarters and Plus Urging "Stop Streaming"

JTBC drama 'Snowdrop' ranking recorded on Disney Plus. / Photo by FlixPatrol capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] The JTBC drama "Snowdrop," which has recently faced criticism over historical distortion controversies, is reportedly achieving strong viewership records on the online video service (OTT) Disney+.

According to the global OTT ranking aggregation site "FlixPatrol" on the 21st, "Snowdrop" ranked 12th in the most-watched TV programs category on Disney+ as of the 20th.

"Snowdrop" was released through Disney+ in five Asian countries including South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan, all ranking within the top 5. It ranked 2nd in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, and 3rd in South Korea and Japan.

Despite its success on Disney+, the controversy continues. Concerns have been raised that the global OTT platform Disney+ might instill incorrect historical perspectives about the democratization movement to foreign viewers. Disney+, which launched domestically last month, has actively promoted the series by leveraging the global popularity of the girl group BLACKPINK's fandom.

In response, various social networking services (SNS) have been flooded with verified screenshots of protest emails sent to Disney headquarters and Disney+ demanding "Stop streaming." According to one netizen, Disney+ customer service replied, "Many customers have made similar inquiries. We have already submitted a report on this matter," and added, "We have strongly requested prompt action." They also emphasized, "This is our nation's history," and "We are also upset about this."

The petition to suspend the broadcast of "Snowdrop," posted on the Blue House's public petition board immediately after the broadcast, had gathered over 300,000 signatures as of the 21st. Additionally, the youth organization World Citizens Declaration filed a provisional injunction to ban the screening of "Snowdrop" at the Seoul Western District Court on the 22nd.

Meanwhile, JTBC issued a statement on the 21st denying the historical distortion controversy again, stating, "'Snowdrop' does not feature any spies leading the democratization movement." They added, "The male and female leads neither participate in nor lead the democratization movement in the first and second episodes, nor does any script thereafter include such a setting," and concluded, "Most misunderstandings will be resolved as the drama progresses."

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