I feel like I’m in a Twilight Zone with what’s happening around Joseon Exorcist. Having not lived through the censorship terrors in various countries through modern world history doesn’t mean I didn’t learn my history and further cherish the freedom of democratized cultures for the seemingly inviolable protections of differences in opinion and creative exploration in the arts. The cast and crew of Joseon Exorcist have now seen their drama cancelled and each have penned an apology letter for their role in participating in a drama that distorts history and upsets the public. If South Korean netizens wanted to cast out anything and everything related to Mainland China then they should have not imported The Cultural Revolution tactics of denouncement and repentance. I hope this fervor will die down soon enough as all lynch mobs are, though sadly I fear there will be a chill in K-ent on doing anything that will remotely be perceived by the public as problematic. That may include no sageuks based on real historical characters in the near future, no Chinese investment, no Chinese PPL, and whatever new thing the netizens perceive as sacred to their history and culture and cannot be changed even in a fictional piece of entertainment. I’m genuinely saddened by what is happening, it’s like prior generations fought to topple dictatorial governments for our right to be/think/say things without fear and now their descendants have turned back the clock.
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They honestly shouldn’t even be apologizing but I’m aware it’s not only to protect their careers but those around them as well. There’s always a trickle effect. Economic-wise, they are hurting themselves. Both countries perform better economically when they set aside differences and work together in different realms including entertainment industry.
It’s devastating when people choose pride and meaningless bragging rights over care and concern for a fellow human being. It’s kind of disconcerting when issues like this is plastered over the news more often than true issues like political scandals and people being taken advantage by other people.
Why do the actors need to apologize in the first place? The problem also coming from “being apologetic” over everything, thus encouraging the k-netz to further crucify them.
Exactly! These actors/actresses were doing their jobs and therefore have nothing to apologize for. It’s the whole “shooting the messenger” adage.
Cancel culture has become too ridiculous.
Cancel culture is Puritanism run amok. At least Puritans thought they were obeying God – their modern disciples destroy out of sheer ego.
To me the line was crossed and it just became about the mob feeling their oats when they went after Shin Hye Sun. Her drama was popular all of 5 minutes ago so very obviously the general audience had no issues. Now she’s losing advertising jobs so that is just people stirring the pot and feeling their power. I understand why the actors wrote the letters but ugh.
In Hollywood one screenwriter (He wrote the screenplay for Braveheart) once said, “never let the truth get in the way of a good story”. What we are consuming is entertainment even if it deals with real people. It doesn’t matter if it is a respected drama like Jumong where the real history isn’t even known or something like Faith where I feel confident Choi Young didn’t have a relationship with a time traveler and have super powers. But I love Faith and I actually bothered to look up a lot about Korean and Chinese history because of this and other historicals. I am sympathetic to family members who feel their ancestors are not being treated fairly but there is now a toxic brew of geopolitical stuff, the social media mob and Maoish struggle sessions.
Travesty. An absolute travesty. They have nothing to apologize for. This is so wrong. I thought this was South Korea, not North Korea.
Sometimes I wonder if the K-netizens themselves actually realise that they’re slowly turning into the country they hated the most (China) with this type of behaviour they’re exhibiting?
Cancel culture is what is at work here. Freedom of speech and expression is being lost by the day, as they try to preserve their history they are destroying their future, it’s like watching a slow train wreck.
Once everyone can agree to disagree and understand the fundamentals of democracy by protecting freedom of speech above self will there be hope.
I absolutely believe in cultural and historical integrity. For example, for Japan to insist that comfort women from South Korea didn’t exist and those women were just willing prostitutes is factually not true and should be disputed in history books, official documents, and academic papers so the actual history is shown. Or for China to laughably claim kimchee as originating from there is so stupid who would even believe it. Sure China has their own versions of preserved cabbage with spicy and sour tastes but it’s not the kimchee that is currently popular around the world directly connect with Korean cuisine.
But if Japan did a dorama that showed a South Korean woman as a willing prostitute who fell in love with a Japanese soldier, I would simply not watch it because it’s just not the fictional story I prefer to consume. But I would not yeet the dorama out of existence or ask production and cast to repent for daring to make such a story.
What the South Korean netizens want is correct, recorded history should be respected. But it should be respected only in history books, in official texts, it needn’t be respected in fictional entertainment mediums. That is where I draw the line.
Artists, actors, directors, screenwriters – those in the creative field should have the broadest leeway to create FICTIONAL works and it should be up to the audience to consume or not. If I didn’t like a story even for reasons such as not being true to history (like making George Washington an alien who consumed babies to power his revolutionary war drive) I will express why it’s doesn’t work for me and then move on, not force such a story out of existence.
So what I am discovering is that in South Korea, there is NO leeway for fictional deviations from their historical texts if it is a negative portrayal. And that’s the path towards censorship and stifling what made it one of the powerhouses of modern Asian development.
It’s a false equivalent to compare anything happening in South Korean with Mainland China. The PRC is a communist government with one-state power. It has never professed to be a country and society with freedom of expression. South Korea does and yet it chooses to step all over that for the sake of “cultural and historical preservation” in a fictional drama with zero stakes.
Ah, this just make me wonder where you came from Koala? Because as a country that had history of comfort woman, I will went beserk if my OWN people make a movie about a willing comfort woman. Of course if that dorama Japan, I will just ignore it because I am not Japanese…but isn’t Joseon Exorcist is Korean Drama and not Chinese Drama?
Oh wait, I am sorry I didn’t catch the hint. This blog name, they way you write Mainland China and they way you ignore H&M and Adidas issue…for me this is actually a good example of democracy because SK actually hearing their people voice. The drama get cancelled because of protest of south korean people and losing of their sponsors, not because they offended some government parties
Koala is a drama blogger (esp kdramas) not a political blog. We are talking about kdramas issue in here and you go OTT asking about her origin and cornered her for that and even brought up about H&M etc that totally got nothing to do with this issue. We are talking about dramas and entertainment but not politics.
You’re rude, troll. She’s Taiwanese, not pro CCP. Also, you don’t have to be pro CCP to be anti witch hunt.
Well written! That’s totally spot on, exactly what I think on this issue but phrased way better. It’s sad that South Korea is lacking the insight to see where they are headed with this if they keep going down that path. Talking about trampling all over the ancestors who fought for democracy and freedom of speech. Of course u can make everything fictional in historical settings but apart from loosing freedom of speech and creativity you also loose that small window of raising interest in other culture and history with these loose adaptions. I’ve lost the number of times that I went researching and reading up on history and historical figures and whatnot after it was loosely introduced in a movie or drama for fictional purposes. I know what to expect from drama and what to expect from a documentary.
@well: OMG you are such a troll, as others have pointed out this is a personal blog about dramas and not politics. It’s very low and narrow minded of you to attack and corner the blogger just because you don’t understand or agree with her standpoint.
The press release for this prior to airing was that it is a fantasy-suspense drama, not a historical drama. Do these offended k-netizens think then that the SKorean audience and even international audience is just not intelligent enough to distinguish that this is nothing but fiction? I mean, there are zombies, zombies! lol. Reminds me of an old film The Last Temptation of Christ where apparently some conservative Christians that time declared the film morally offensive, some cinemas didn’t show it, but ultimately, the choice was with the viewer whether to watch it or not, which is what democracy is. The point is, the film was made, it is still out there to consume, there was no lynching of everyone involved in the production and especially not the actors in it. Years later, Pope Francis even met with the director (Scorsese) of that film at the Vatican, no condemnation or hurt feelings lol. Back to this news in SKorea, and the other point with the set design, so if there will always be backlash with using Chinese-looking props, the actors are supposed to take on the role of set design reviewers as well instead of just focusing on acting which is their job lol.
Because they using real and well known historical figures. If they went full fiction instead I think the issue will not be blown out like this. Mr. Queen still have high rating despite their issue because they using fiction character. Zombie (Netflix) is loved despite they have the same theme
Mr. Queen has been taken off from the streaming sites. So what is your excuse for that then?
@Well – I think we’re going around in circles with the definition of fiction and creative writing, especially in a democratic context, hence even after a lengthy discourse, we will not agree on this point, which is fine, again, that’s the beauty of democracy. I am actually curious to see the feedback from the Arts and Literature Professors or people from the academe and the arts in South Korea on this issue. If anyone has any link, kindly share.
On Mr. Queen, I hear that SHS’s CFs have been unfairly cancelled per the behest of the k-netizens, so I don’t think the people involved in that production were left unscathed.
@Well was Mr Queen based solely on fictional characters? There were no Queen Cheorin and King Cheoljing?
High levels of bullying and suppression by the stupid k-netizens to anyone who is in the public eye. This is sad.
I think the reason why this is being blown out of proportion is because the current political situation between Korea and China is rather tense. It’s basically Korean getting kind of paranoid. With the knowledge that 2 of the most recent shows that took too much liberty into dramatizing historical events is written by someone under the Chinese payroll, it is no longer seen as simply creative people getting too much freedom but actors, directors, screenwriters etc. actively serving the Chinese propaganda.
Kind of reminds me of the main conflict in The Princess Man (which happens to be one of my all time fave KDrama haha)—how the naive and playful switcheroo between the princess and her cousin got entangled into the devious politics concerning their fathers. Mind you, PM also took a lot of creative liberty. I wonder how this show will fare if it’s shown today? Hmm.
Not that I condone what the knetz are doing with their actors. Koreans are known to be a hyper critical bunch. But what’s happening in Korea is not as simple as Koreans getting mad over a hairstyle or mooncake or what not. It may seem superfluous on the surface and it is sad that there are people getting caught in the crossfire quite unfairly. But politics has its way into seeping into people’s daily lives and this is one of those instances.
I wonder how these Korean netizens feel about the fact that the Ming dynasty was a staunch ally of Joseon and saved their bacon in the Imjin War. Do they want to forget that because of what modern China mutated into because of the CCP?
I wonder if Korean netizens raised up a fuss when Kingdom implied that the Chinese had introduced the parasitic illness that turned people into zombies to Joseon for political purposes. Or is that ok because China bad?
Let’s not get our wires crossed here. These Korean netizens who are getting their panties in a twist over Chinese influence don’t actually care about historical accuracy. They’d be perfectly fine with historical inaccuracy so long as it portrays Koreans in a good light. That’s not a commitment to truth. It’s blatant partisanship and I think less of them and the insecure citizens of any country who use history as a battleground in their culture wars.
NK has been firing ballistic missiles off the coast of Korea peninsula. Being threatened and intimidated daily by NK rhetoric, China claiming rights over hanbok, kimchi and Japan having trade spats with SK cause SK ppl to breaking point. The covid restrictions led to thousands of small businesses shutting down with limited financial help from the Moon administration. The Justice Ministry and Land Department are embroiled in corruption controversies, hence the government needed a distraction. The entertainment industry always erupt with some scandals however trivial the issue is whenever the ruling administration is in trouble. The present President’s approval rating is at the lowest point. Knetizens cancelling JE is a symbol of their deep seated frustration at the lack of control of their own lives wrecked by covid, political tension, incompetence and corrupt current govt.
I wish people would stop claiming that China or South Korea did this or that. These are netizens fighting on the internet. China in particular has over a billion people and it’s unfair to tar them all with the same brush.
South Korea is an incredible economic success story but corruption is endemic. Your point about the feeling of being under siege (both real and imagined and from within as well as outside the country) is a salient one.
Nope, JE controversy has reached national level not just netizens fighting on the internet. Scan any English language Korean online news sites, the concerns are real. Refer to koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210328000117.
Rina was referring to your comment about claiming for Kimchi and what not. China did not claim that. In fact that came from a Chinese youtuber (go search for Liziqi) who simply made a kimchi and somehow got twisted into Chinese claiming kimchi originated from them
Knetz are becoming insecure coz China is investing heavily in SK entertainment industry like Netflix. JYP Entertainment has just signed a strategic partnership with China’s Tencent Music Entertainment (TME). Just like Chinese companies invested heavily in NBA in the US, players like LeBron James have become cheerleader boys for CCP/China. You can’t criticise China now in Hollywood coz the CCP is very cunning using Chinese companies to take over Hollywood, US sports & influencing US media to do their bidding. SK may end up like NBA, a CCP stooge. There is always a catch when you do business with Chinese based companies controlled by CCP. There are always strings attached with any deal. That’s why Knetz kicking up a huge fuss over JE. The battle has just begun to take over SK by economic means, cultural means without firing a single bullet.
Right, LeBron James said he stands for social justice all over the world but kept quiet about Hong Kong jailed political activists & HK democracy brutally suppressed by CCP. Muslim Uighurs are imprisoned/tortured in concentration camps in China but woke NBA players say not a peep coz they are on CCP payroll. Shut your trap or lose your salary. The SK ppl are sot stupid, one day their entertainment industry will have to kow-tow to CCP payroll.
Just wait for it. Netflix “original” Korean dramas will soon push the LGBTQ, climate change, etc strongly. Money talks. Knetz are starting to realize their culture is under assault thus any misrepresentation is closely scrutinised. Today will be a strategic partnership in music btwn SK & China, tomorrow will be k-dramas/movies partnerships with China. You get the drift.
it’s a drama about zombies. how historically accurate could that be to begin with?
So four of the actors posted an apology and now their written apology will be judged for sincerity. What about those who didn’t post are they going to be condemned for not posting?
I know the actors are doing this to avoid being targeted but it doesn’t feel good to read about it. They didn’t bully anyone in the past, nor did anything like DUI or any misdeeds. It really feels so wrong.
How come there is no news about the writer? I am curious since the news is focused on the actors.
Writer apologised. refer to @analyst’s koreaherald link above.
Oh wow they are still talking about this even after cancellation? This is almost unheard of. Why are they apologizing and why are K-netizens analyzing the sincerity. This is so beyond odd. Who are they to condemn them? Who are they to judge the sincerity in the letters when they don’t seem like sincere people themselves. The irony. Maybe I don’t understand the gravity of this issue but they make it sound like anyone who is even remotely related to any aspect of the show should be prosecuted. I even feel angry reading this maybe I’ll skip reading these articles. Being a public figure especially Korea sure is stressful.
I’m confused. is it patriotic with the country or paranoia with china conspiracy? or these two things correlate with each other?
I think that a lot of this kind of controversies wouldn’t have existed if we weren’t in an era of social medias . Before people should have to take a shit of paper and write the complain . The effort needed would have been enough to not even start the debut of a controversy . Cast and crew have to apologize to save their career . I feel sorry for them . What i don’t get it’s how producers , director, screenwriter, did the drama ? We international viewers are seen as idiots who don’t know nothing about their History . But apparently as citizens of The repulic of South Korea Didn’t they see nothing wrong and needed the Light of Knetizens to understand their huge mistake to the point that a show was canceled and actors seen as traitors ??? Perhaps they saw their work as a mere FICTION .
Knetz really picks on just everything so the actors had to apologize just to avoid displeasing the public. This is so wrong in many ways but that’s just how their culture is and we us an outsider really don’t have a say in it. Just like how i would love to go visit sk but not dream of living there. And i do agree with koala’s comment above whole heartedly.