"Promoting the Wrong Values of Getting Rich Overnight"
"Emphasizing Realism Principles in Drama Production"
The Chinese government has begun regulating the depiction of "wealthy and handsome chaebol male protagonists" in web dramas.
On the 26th, according to Chinese state media Global Times and others, the National Radio and Television Administration, China's broadcasting regulatory agency, recently issued production guidelines for web dramas, stating that "absurd stories should not be plausibly packaged to distort or damage the image of Chinese entrepreneur groups."
The Chinese authorities warned, "We must be cautious of an atmosphere that worships and encourages marriages with the powerful or chaebol families," adding, "Content that promotes incorrect values of life, such as achieving success without effort or becoming rich overnight, needs to be strictly excluded." They further emphasized, "When producing dramas, the principle of realism should be prioritized," and urged, "Actively use stories of historically or contemporarily notable Chinese enterprises as material."
Additionally, the authorities cracked down on the trend of drama production companies using the word "paechong"?meaning chaebol or CEO?in titles to gain popularity. In China, the "paechong" genre mainly depicts love stories between tall, handsome chaebol men and ordinary women. It has a structure similar to the so-called "Prince Charming on a White Horse" narrative. The authorities announced plans to reduce the number of such web dramas and improve their quality through management and supervision.
In particular, these dramas are known among domestic Chinese drama fans by the keyword "paedo-chongja romance." Previously, the Chinese drama industry saw several popular dramas featuring the concept of a male protagonist as a "paedo-chongja" and a spirited female lead like "Candy."
However, in response to the news of the Chinese authorities' regulations, local netizens expressed various reactions, ranging from "excessive regulation of creative works" to "management and supervision are still necessary."
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