China illegally watched 'Ojingeo Game 2' and even bought goods... "Stop it now"

Seokyeongdeok Urges Suspension of Illegal Goods Sales in China

Netflix original series 'Squid Game' Season 2 is gaining global attention, but in China, related illegal merchandise is being openly sold, causing concerns.

Professor Seokyung Deok from Sungshin Women's University opened his statement on Facebook on the 7th, saying, "After searching various online shopping malls in China, I was able to confirm that illegal merchandise was being sold in several places." He continued, "In platforms like Taobao and JD.com, which caused major controversies during 'Squid Game' Season 1, related products were not found, but they were being sold on Temu and AliExpress. Most of the products originate from China, and above all, the biggest issue is that these goods are made and sold using the unauthorized portrait rights of actors who appeared in 'Squid Game.'"

Professor Seokyung Deok emphasized, "It is unacceptable that some Chinese netizens not only illegally watch the show but also create illegal merchandise as a profit structure. This must stop now."

Previously, after the release of 'Squid Game' Season 1 in 2021, vendors dealing in counterfeit costumes enjoyed a boom on major Chinese online shopping malls.

At that time, foreign media such as the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "'Squid Game'-inspired products are spreading across global e-commerce platforms, with many products manufactured in China." They added, "Some of the most popular 'Squid Game' related products on Korea's online shopping site Coupang are sold by companies in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, and Anhui Province in China," and explained, "Similar situations are occurring on Chinese shopping sites like Alibaba.com and Taobao, the largest shopping app under Alibaba."

Meanwhile, 'Squid Game' Season 2 has ranked first globally in the TV show category for 11 consecutive days. According to FlixPatrol, a site that tracks global OTT rankings, 'Squid Game 2,' released on December 26 last year, ranked first worldwide in the Netflix TV show category as of the 6th (local time). Thus, 'Squid Game 2' has maintained the top position for 11 consecutive days since December 27 last year.