"Jeon Ji-hyun, who starred in the 'Cheon Song-yi syndrome,' is facing an unexpected suspension of activities, including the halt of Chinese advertisements, after a controversy over a line of dialogue in the drama."
Hallyu star Jeon Ji-hyun's Disney+ original series Polar Star is facing strong headwinds in China. A single line of dialogue in the drama provoked a fierce backlash from Chinese internet users, putting Jeon Ji-hyun's local activities, who once sparked the "Cheon Song-yi syndrome," on alert.
According to Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily and the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a scene in which Jeon Ji-hyun appears as presidential candidate "Seo Moon-joo" saying, "Why does China prefer war? A nuclear bomb could fall on the border area," spread online in China. In response, internet users poured out collective backlash saying, "It distorts China's image" and "It doesn't match reality."
The controversy did not stop at the dialogue. Complaints continued, arguing that a shantytown scene filmed in Hong Kong was set in Dalian, China, damaging the city's image; that there is a scene stepping on a five-star patterned carpet; and that the villain's dialogue being in Chinese is a problematic setting. Claims were even raised that Jeon Ji-hyun deliberately distorted the pronunciation when reciting a line from the Chinese poet Li Bai.
The fallout spread to advertising. Some cosmetics and watch brands that Jeon Ji-hyun models for reportedly stopped online advertising exposure in China or deleted related content. On Weibo, voices calling for "re-strengthening the ban on Korean content" are growing louder.
In particular, because Jeon Ji-hyun was a representative Hallyu star who in 2014 gained explosive popularity across China with the drama My Love from the Star and sparked the 'Cheon Song-yi syndrome,' this incident is seen as having symbolic repercussions.
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]