In China, the unauthorized viewing of "When Life Gives You Tangerines," starring IU and Park Bo-gum, has stirred controversy for also misusing personal rights.

Netflix's "When Life Gives You Tangerines" is a drama that unravels the adventurous life of 'the rebellious and charming' Ae-soon (IU) and 'the clueless iron' Kwan-sik (Park Bo-gum) through the four seasons. Starting with its first release on Oct. 7, all episodes of "When Life Gives You Tangerines" were completed by the 28th of the same month, having been released four at a time every Friday.

"When Life Gives You Tangerines" gained popularity as it tells the relatable story of mothers and fathers, capturing the love of family and becoming popular primarily across Asian countries. However, it is gaining explosive popularity in China, where Netflix is not available.

In China, since Netflix is not officially available, it cannot be legally viewed. As a result, Chinese viewers are reportedly watching "When Life Gives You Tangerines" through various means, such as bypassing access and illegal downloads. Various over-the-top (OTT) services have uploaded videos of "When Life Gives You Tangerines," and Chinese media have also been pouring out evaluations.

"When Life Gives You Tangerines" has recorded a high score of 9.4 on the 'Douban,' known as China's largest rating site.

In addition to unauthorized viewing, the unauthorized use of personal rights has become a problem. On the 14th, Professor Seo Kyung-duk from Seongshin Women's University noted, "Netizens provided tips," saying, "Recently, at a supermarket in Hebei province, China, photos of Yang Kwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum) and Oh Ae-soon (played by IU) from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' were being used in product advertisements without permission."

They were using a scene from the drama where Kwan-sik sells cabbage next to Ae-soon, attaching the description 'I love cabbage' and improperly utilizing their personal rights. Furthermore, various product sections also used personal rights in descriptions like 'Try making Ae-soon's pea rice' and 'Is this the right fish?'

In this regard, Professor Seo pointed out, "This is a clear example of how, after illegally watching in China, the actors' personal rights are being used without consent."

He further added, "Until now, China has unlawfully used the personal rights of Hallyu stars featured in K-content such as 'Squid Game' and 'The Glory,' and has even created counterfeit products to sell, making them part of their revenue structure."

He criticized, "In China, Netflix is not officially available," and noted, "Such actions continuing means that they are openly admitting to watching clandestinely in China."

He also emphasized, "Now is the time for the Chinese authorities to step up," stating, "They need to launch a concentrated crackdown on the illegal activities of their citizens to ensure that such incidents do not occur again."

[Photo] Netflix, provided by Professor Seo Kyung-duk

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