Chinese netizens also say "Squid's victory? Embarrassing"... 'Ojingeo Game' plagiarism controversy in Chinese variety show

Poster of the Chinese variety show 'Ojingeo-ui Seungri'

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Yeeun] The Chinese online video service (OTT) 'Youku (優酷)' has faced allegations within China that its variety show 'Ojingeo-ui Seungri' plagiarized the Netflix drama 'Squid Game.'

According to the state-run media Global Times on the 21st, Youku showcased 'Ojingeo-ui Seungri' at a new release promotional event the day before.

However, netizens immediately criticized the show as a plagiarism of 'Squid Game' after seeing the poster design featuring pink circles, triangles, squares, and promotional phrases such as 'Challenge' and 'Childhood Games.'

Chinese netizens pointed out, "It's embarrassing," "It's clear plagiarism. Why copy a Korean program?" and "They should change the poster."

Furthermore, when reports emerged that Netflix stated it had never discussed copyright issues with Youku, netizens' criticism intensified.

Youku responded by saying, "We mistakenly used a draft that had already been discarded," and changed the program's title to 'Game-ui Seungri.'