Embassy of Venezuela Issues 'Safety Notice' to Korean Community
Suriname Government States Legal Action Position
Foreign Ministry "Striving to Maintain Friendly Relations"
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Venezuela issued a safety notice to the local Korean community on the 13th through the 'Safety Notice for the Korean Community in Suriname.' / Photo by Netflix
[Asia Economy Kim Gun-chan, Intern Reporter] As the government of Suriname, a South American country, hinted at legal action against the Netflix drama "Suriname," a safety notice was issued to local Korean residents living in Suriname.
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Venezuela announced on the 13th through a "Safety Notice for the Korean Community in Suriname," stating, "We assume that Koreans residing in Suriname are very distressed due to the aftermath of the drama 'Suriname' airing," and added, "Our greatest concern is the safety of the Korean community, and we will do our best for your well-being."
The embassy urged, "Please pay close attention to your safety for now," and added, "If there are any concerns or if you need assistance, please contact the Korean Association president immediately."
Suriname, which gained independence from the Netherlands, established diplomatic relations with Korea in 1975. After the embassy withdrew in 1993, the Embassy in Venezuela currently concurrently serves as the embassy to Suriname.
Earlier, the Suriname government expressed its intention to take legal action against Netflix and the production team. Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Economic Affairs, and International Cooperation, said on the 12th, "Suriname has long had a bad image as a drug trafficking country, but it no longer holds that image," and added, "We have worked to improve the national image, but the drama is making Suriname look bad again."
Regarding this, the Korean government stated that it is closely monitoring the situation. At a regular briefing on the 15th, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Eun-joo responded to the question, "Has the protest message from the Suriname government been received by the Korean government?" by saying, "Since the airing of the Netflix series, there has been no statement from the Suriname government regarding our government, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues efforts to maintain friendly relations with Suriname."
The Netflix drama "Suriname," released on the 9th, depicts the story of a civilian who accepts a secret mission from the National Intelligence Service to capture a Korean drug lord who controls Suriname. According to the OTT content ranking site FlixPatrol, as of the 15th, "Suriname" ranks third worldwide in the Netflix TV show category.
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