Netflix and PD Kim Hak-min expressed their stance on the plagiarism case of 'Culinary Class Wars' in China.
On the 2nd, the 'Netflix Variety Festival 2025' took place at the JW Marriott Hotel in Dongdaemun, Seoul.
The event was attended by Hwang Seul-woo from 'Crime Scene Zero', Jang Ho-gi from 'Physical: Asia', Kim Ye-seul from 'Three Meals in Kenya', Kim Hak-min from 'Culinary Class Wars: Class War 2', Kim Jae-won from 'Single's Inferno 5', Jeong Jong-yeon from 'Mystery Investigation Team 2', and Lee So-min from 'Kian's Bizarre B&B', as well as PD Kim No-eun from 'Better Late Than Single 2', and Director Yoo Gi-hwan.
In particular, Kim Hak-min PD, who directed 'Culinary Class Wars', and Director Yoo Gi-hwan conveyed their stance on the recent plagiarism allegations raised by Tencent online.
Previously, the Chinese OTT platform Tencent Video unveiled its new variety show '一封神 (Yipanfengshen, becoming a god in one meal)'. It claims to showcase a love for Chinese cuisine, with 100 chefs competing while wielding fire and knives. However, the program immediately raised suspicions due to its similarities with 'Culinary Class Wars'. The one-on-one confrontation structure between 'Black Chef' and 'White Chef', the competitive format of running randomly assigned restaurants as teams, and the judging by ordinary people and celebrity panels were just a few of the key components that mirrored each other, including set design and filming direction.
Regarding this, Kim Hak-min PD said, "(About the controversy) I first learned about it when Director Yoo Gi-hwan sent me a link via KakaoTalk. When I saw it, there were scenes that could not be overlooked. The set goes without saying; even the scene described as the opening sequence seemed so identical that I thought, 'This is cut by cut the same.' My initial reaction was not just anger or sadness, but I was shocked at how similar it was. I thought, 'If they worked this hard, that's amazing.'"
He continued, "The disappointing thing is that the scenes that our PDs painstakingly created are so identical that even the composition is the same, including the background music. It's true that I felt regret in that aspect."
Director Yoo Gi-hwan emphasized, "After Netflix recognized this situation, they entered into in-depth discussions. Regardless of the similarity of the works, we see that many parts were deliberately utilized. What Netflix considers most important is recognizing the effort put into the works and IP, so we currently have strongly requested Tencent to halt the broadcast. In the future, Netflix will not overlook or condone IP infringement, and we will officially respond and monitor Tencent's actions."
[Photo] Provided by Netflix
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