As the Netflix animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters" (hereafter referred to as "Kedehun") gains worldwide popularity, controversy arises over the distribution of illegally produced related merchandise on Chinese online shopping malls.
According to a team led by Professor Seo Kyung-deok at Sungshin Women's University on the 21st, illegal products related to "Kedehun", including t-shirts, bags, dolls, and blankets, are openly sold on international shopping platforms such as AliExpress and Temu.
Previously, when the Netflix original series "Squid Game" seasons 1 to 3 were released, issues arose regarding the distribution of illegal copies and unauthorized viewing in China, and there have been numerous cases where related merchandise was illegally produced and sold for profit.
Professor Seo criticized via social media, stating, "It is unacceptable that, in addition to illegal viewing, they are creating illegal goods to turn it into their revenue structure."
He added, "It must end now," and emphasized, "The act of stealing content from other countries must stop."
Currently, Netflix is not officially available in China, so local viewers consume content through illegal streaming or bypass access. It is reported that there are over 7,000 reviews related to Kedehun posted on Douban, China's largest review site.