'Hellbound' Ranks #1 on Netflix Worldwide for Third Day... CNN Says "Korean Dramas Are Amazing"
Following 'Squid Game,' 'Hellbound' Faces Illegal Distribution Issues in China
Seo Kyung-duk Urges China to Respect Other Countries' Cultures
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The Korean original Netflix series "Hellbound," which is gaining worldwide popularity, has been found to be illegally distributed in China, just like "Squid Game." Since the implementation of the Hallyu ban (restriction on Korean Wave), watching Korean movies, dramas, and other K-content has been virtually prohibited in China. However, recently, Korean cultural content has been illegally distributed with Chinese subtitles, causing concern. In response to this situation, voices criticizing the illegal downloading behavior of Chinese viewers are growing louder. Especially as the status of K-content rises day by day, there are calls for active measures to be taken.
According to the global online video service (OTT) ranking site "FlixPatrol" on the 25th, "Hellbound" scored 781 points on the previous day (24th), maintaining its position as the number one Netflix TV show worldwide. Released on the 19th, "Hellbound" reached number one on the 20th, just one day after its release, but lost the top spot to the American animation "Arcane" on the 21st. However, it reclaimed first place on the 22nd and has held the top position for three consecutive days. "Hellbound" is a story depicting supernatural phenomena where ordinary people receive death sentences to hell from unknown entities.
Foreign media have also been praising "Hellbound" daily. On the 23rd (local time), CNN in the U.S. reported, "Korean dramas this year are amazing," calling "'Hellbound' the new 'Squid Game'." The film-specialized media IndieWire described "'Hellbound' as the latest Korean blockbuster series targeting your soul," adding, "The most notable achievement of this work is capturing the very specific public sentiment of collective helplessness."
Even in China, where Netflix is not officially available, "Hellbound" appears to be very popular. On major Chinese social networking services (SNS) such as Weibo and Weixin, reviews of "Hellbound" are appearing one after another, and as of 3 p.m. on the 25th, the cumulative views of the hashtag "Hellbound Envoy" (#地獄公使#) on Weibo were counted at 160 million. In China, "Hellbound" is being illegally distributed under the title "Hellbound Envoy" (地獄公使). "Hellbound Envoy" means "Messenger from Hell."
Despite its popularity, netizen ratings are relatively harsh. On the Chinese review site Douban, "Hellbound" has a rating of 7.0, which is lower than "Squid Game"'s 7.6. One Chinese netizen who binge-watched all six episodes overnight left a harsh review, calling it "the worst drama I've seen this year," and gave it a 2.0-star rating.
The problem lies in the high likelihood that Chinese viewers are watching "Hellbound" illegally. Since the Hallyu ban, the distribution of new Korean movies and dramas within China has been prohibited. The Hallyu ban was a measure taken after the deployment of the U.S. THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system on Korean soil in 2016, which restricted the activities of Korean entertainers in China.
Moreover, Netflix is not legally supported in China. Therefore, to watch "Hellbound" within China, viewers have no choice but to resort to illegal downloads or use methods such as VPNs to bypass restrictions.
In light of this, domestic netizens have criticized the illegal downloading behavior of Chinese viewers. One netizen pointed out, "It seems that Chinese people do not realize that secretly watching our dramas is illegal. Copyright-related education is needed."
Another netizen said, "I understand the desire to watch popular content, but illegal viewing should be criticized. Alternatives to prevent illegal distribution of our content need to be established."
The issue of illegal distribution of K-content by Chinese viewers is not new. When "Squid Game" became a hit, problems with illegal downloads by Chinese netizens also surfaced. At that time, Chinese viewers not only claimed that the green tracksuits featured in "Squid Game" originated from them but also illegally copied the design to produce and sell similar tracksuits.
The problem of illegal distribution by Chinese viewers is also reflected in related statistics. According to the "2021 Copyright Protection Annual Report" submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to Rep. Kim Seung-soo of the People Power Party, China accounted for 32.4% of all detected cases of illegal distribution by country, the highest proportion.
As a result, the Korean government has expressed its intention to actively respond to Chinese authorities. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Choi Young-sam stated at a regular briefing on the 7th of last month, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to strengthen activities to prevent copyright infringement of our cultural content as much as possible and to respond swiftly to any infringement that occurs, through close cooperation with related ministries such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."
Experts have pointed out that China needs to learn to respect other countries' cultures first. Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University said on Facebook, "The drama 'Hellbound,' released worldwide through Netflix, is once again being illegally distributed in China like 'Squid Game.' China is a country where Netflix is not officially available. However, it is a big problem that Korean content is continuously being stolen through illegal downloads and VPN access." He added, "I hope China learns the law of respecting other countries' cultures first."
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