South Korean actress Jun Ji Hyun is facing intense criticism from viewers in China over her new Disney Plus original series, Tempest. According to reports from Hong Kong newspapers on September 21st, clips from the show are circulating on Chinese social media, with some viewers expressing concerns over scenes they perceive as anti-China.
Though Disney Plus is not officially available in China, viewers have managed to watch the series through other channels. The backlash is centered on several key scenes and lines of dialogue.
In the show, Jun Ji Hyun’s character asks, “Why does China want war? A nuclear bomb could fall on the border region.” This sparked immediate outrage among Chinese viewers, who called the show insulting and demanded a boycott of the series and its star.
Viewers also took issue with the show’s visual portrayal of China. One scene, supposedly set in the city of Dalian in 2025, was reportedly filmed in a rundown Hong Kong neighborhood. Viewers argued the production team intentionally used a squalid location and dark lighting to damage the image of modern Chinese cities.
Viewers also complained that a character stepped on a rug that looked like the Chinese flag and that the villain speaks Chinese. Some even said the actress messed up a famous Chinese poem on purpose.
The fallout on Weibo, China’s largest social media platform, has been significant. Hashtags like “La Mer deletes Jeon Ji Hyun content” began trending as users demanded action. In response to the controversy, several major brands that use Jun Ji Hyun as a brand ambassador, including the cosmetic brand La Mer and luxury houses Louis Vuitton and Piaget, have removed all posts featuring her from their official Chinese Weibo accounts. The backlash has even led some to demand that China’s unofficial ban on South Korean pop culture not be lifted.
Tempest was written by acclaimed writer Jeong Seo Kyeong and also stars Kang Dong Won.
>> Jun Ji Hyun and Kang Dong Won’s ‘Tempest’ Hits No. 2 Worldwide on Disney Plus
Source (1)
