As 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' generates buzz among global fans, it also drew attention by sending invitations from Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China.
On the 2nd, local Chinese media reported that at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, tourism invitations were delivered to the production team of the Netflix original series 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' through scenic spot advisors and guides.
'When Life Gives You Tangerines' is a popular Korean drama that was recently released on Netflix. In the series, the main character Aesun (Moon So-ri) expresses a desire to her husband Kwan-sik (Park Hae-joon), saying, "I want to go to Zhangjiajie to see the autumn leaves," showcasing the episodes of a middle-aged couple. This is why local tourism was mentioned.
However, this has sparked critical reactions, as Netflix is not officially available in China. Domestic drama fans criticized the response as an endorsement of the illegal viewing of 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' in China.
In fact, the illegal viewing of Korean content in China has consistently been an issue. Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women's University recently pointed out, "A review page for 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' was created on the Chinese content review site Douban, revealing as many as 30,000 reviews of illegal viewing."
In this regard, Professor Seo noted that the 'Squid Game' series, which caused a global syndrome despite not being officially available in China, became hugely popular there. He added, "'Pirate viewing' has become a norm in China."
[Photo] Provided by Netflix.
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