Review Page Created Before Part 2 Release
Professor Seokyeongdeok: "Chinese Authorities Must Step In and Sanction"
The Netflix original series starring Song Hye-kyo, 'The Glory' Part 2, is gaining popularity in China through illegal distribution, following Part 1. In response, Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University argued that "it is time for Chinese authorities to take active measures" to eradicate illegal viewing.
On the 14th, Professor Seo stated on Facebook, "Recently, as 'The Glory' Part 2 was released, illegal 'peeping' has surged again in China," adding, "On the Chinese content review site Douban (豆瓣), review pages for 'The Glory' Part 2 were created even before its release, and currently, more than 140,000 reviews have been posted."
Rating status of 'The Glory' Part 2 on Chinese content review site Douban (豆瓣) [Image source=Professor Seokyung Deok's Facebook]
He pointed out, "Illegal distribution of Korean content such as 'The Glory' Part 1, 'Squid Game,' and 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' has become commonplace in China," and “what’s even more shocking is that they feel no shame about it.”
Currently, on China's social media platform Douban (豆瓣), 'The Glory' Part 2 has a rating of 9.3 out of 10, with over 140,000 reviews. Considering that Netflix is not officially available in China, it is highly likely that these views were obtained illegally.
Regarding the repeated illegal viewing in China, Professor Seo said, "They freely use the likeness rights of Hallyu stars appearing in the drama, produce and sell counterfeit goods as part of their profit structure, and above all, they secretly watch and boldly rate the show," adding, "Therefore, it is now time for Chinese authorities to take active action."
He continued, "During last year's Beijing Winter Olympics, Chinese authorities strictly cracked down on intellectual property protection and illegal distribution related to the Olympic mascot 'Bing Dwen Dwen,'" and said, "This shows that Chinese authorities are not unaware. They have known but have not acted until now."
Finally, Professor Seo emphasized, "From now on, Chinese authorities must learn to respect other countries' cultures first and must demonstrate this through actions," and added, "Chinese state-run media such as Global Times should report on what is wrong with their citizens’ 'theft viewing' to raise public awareness and help eradicate illegal distribution."
Meanwhile, 'The Glory' Part 1 depicts Moon Dong-eun (played by Song Hye-kyo), who suffered severe school violence as a child and prepares to take revenge on her perpetrators as an adult. Part 2 covers Moon Dong-eun’s full-scale retaliation against the offenders. 'The Glory' ranked third globally in the Netflix TV program category just one day after Part 2’s release, gaining significant popularity.
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