The telegraph
South Korea’s period drama after reaction against Chinese “cultural imperialism”
A big-budget South Korean historical drama was taken off the air after viewers accused the screenwriter of capitulating to China’s “cultural imperialism” to rewrite history. The 16-episode series, “Joseon Exorcist,” was withdrawn by the Seoul Broadcasting System after receiving a hostile public reception after just two episodes, with the screenwriter and the cast apologizing. The series’ condemnation has broadened in criticism of China for trying – once again – to expropriate parts of Korean culture. Viewers were outraged by the historical inaccuracies, as well as the main characters wearing Chinese clothes and eating dishes more readily served in China, including moon cakes, dumplings and “eggs of the century”. South Korean television surveillance had received more than 3,900 complaints as of March 24, two days after the second episode aired, a series of public petitions were launched on the Korean president’s official website and at least a dozen companies withdrew advertising. and sponsorship, JoongAng Reported daily. “I sincerely apologize for the problems that my reckless script has caused viewers in the past few days,” Park Kye-ok, the screenwriter, said in a statement. “I should have learned from my mistakes from the past and presented a better story as a writer. I irritated viewers with my lack of judgment ”. Park was the target of similar criticism last year for a television project called “Mr Queen”. And while SBS broadcaster claimed that “Joseon Exorcist” did not receive foreign capital, it was reported that Mr. Park is under contract with a production company in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, while a Chinese company official is based in his offices in Seoul. and also works for the state-run China Daily. Beijing used a heavy hand on other screen projects, with Disney’s live-action version of “Mulan” sparking controversy last year after the company reportedly turned a blind eye to China’s human rights record in exchange for Chinese investment.