Seo Kyungduk: "Respect for Other Cultures Must Come First"
The new Netflix animated series "K-Pop Demon Hunters," which centers on K-pop idols, has sparked a global sensation upon its release. However, some Chinese netizens are making unfounded claims that the show "stole Chinese culture."
According to FlixPatrol, an online video service (OTT) ranking site, as of June 23, the series ranked first in the global film category. It has continued its box office success by reaching number one in a total of 26 countries, including South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Mexico, and Japan.
However, some Chinese netizens are criticizing the Korean elements featured in the series, accusing it of "stealing Chinese culture." Among these are groundless claims such as "It plagiarized Chinese culture," "Why are Chinese elements included in Korean features?" and "Chinese knots appear multiple times in the film." In fact, on Douban, China's largest review site, there are currently around 1,000 reviews related to "K-Pop Demon Hunters."
Regarding this, Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women's University stated on his Facebook page on June 25, "Since Netflix is not officially available in China, it appears that Chinese viewers have illegally watched 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' and then left reviews."
Professor Seo criticized, "Now, illegal viewing has become routine in China," and added, "What is even more astonishing is that they do not seem to feel any sense of shame about it."
He further stated, "Instead of making baseless claims that 'Korea has stolen Chinese culture,' Chinese netizens should first learn to respect the cultures of other countries."
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