Actors Park Bo-gum and IU, who appeared in "When Life Gives You Tangerines," are at the center of controversy for unauthorized use of their portraits in China.
On the 14th, Professor Seo Kyung-duk noted, "Netizens tipped me off," adding, "Recently, at a supermarket in Hebei, China, images of Yang Kwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum) and Oh Ae-soon (played by IU) from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' were being misused in product advertisements."
They were using a scene from the drama where Kwan-sik helps sell cabbage next to Ae-soon, with the description "Cabbage is great" while arbitrarily exploiting their portrait rights. Additionally, their portrait rights were further exploited in various product sections with descriptions like "Try making pea rice like Ae-soon" and "Does this croaker look right?"
In this regard, Professor Seo pointed out, "This is a clear example of illegally viewing and arbitrarily using the portrait rights of actors in China."
In particular, he added, "So far, China has illegally used the portrait rights of Hallyu stars appearing in K-content such as 'Squid Game' and 'The Glory,' and has gone so far as to create and sell counterfeit products to structure their revenue. "
He also criticized, "In China, Netflix is not officially available," adding that, "These actions occurring continuously are essentially an admission of secretly watching in China."
Furthermore, he emphasized, "Now is the time for the Chinese authorities to step in," and stated, "They must conduct strict crackdowns on illegal activities by their citizens to ensure that such incidents do not happen again."
"When Life Gives You Tangerines" is a popular Korean drama that was recently released on Netflix. It has received acclaim for portraying the adventurous lives of Ae-soon, a 'feisty rebel' born in Jeju, and Kwan-sik, a 'simpleton,' through the four seasons.
[Photo] Provided by Professor Seo Kyung-duk.
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