Illegal Streaming and Knockoff Merchandise Rampant Again... Claims That "Kedeheon" Plagiarized China Emerge

Illegal "Kedeheon" Merchandise Sold Openly on AliExpress and Temu
Chinese Netizens Claim "Kedeheon" Plagiarized Chinese Culture

As the Netflix animation 'K-Pop Demon Hunters (Kedeheon)' gains popularity worldwide, controversy has arisen over the open sale of illegal merchandise on major Chinese online shopping malls.

The illegal merchandise of 'Kedeheon' is openly sold on a major Chinese online shopping mall. Professor Seo Kyungduk

On global e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress and Temu in China, T-shirts, bags, dolls, and blankets featuring 'Kedeheon' characters are being sold. These are illegal goods that have not gone through official licensing, yet they are being traded to customers around the world.

Previously, when 'Squid Game' became a global sensation, the distribution of illegal copies and unauthorized viewing also emerged as a social issue in China. In particular, after the release of Season 1, local online malls experienced a boom in sales from vendors promoting counterfeit merchandise.

Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women's University criticized, "This is truly a pathetic act," and added, "It's unacceptable that, on top of illegal viewing, they are even producing illegal merchandise to profit from it." He continued, "It has to stop now," warning, "The act of 'stealing' content from other countries must come to an end."

The reaction within China has been brazen. After illegally watching 'Kedeheon,' Chinese netizens have posted about 7,000 reviews on Douban, the country's largest review site. Among these, some even claim that "'Kedeheon' plagiarized Chinese culture," further fueling controversy by insisting that Korea has stolen Chinese culture.

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