‘Tempest’ actress Jun Ji-Hyun faces backlash in China over character's controversial line
The new Korean spy-romance drama Tempest and its star Jun Ji-hyun are facing backlash in China over a line delivered by her character.
Jun plays diplomat and former UN ambassador Seo Mun-ju in the show. In one scene, her character asks, "Why does China prefer war? A nuclear bomb could fall near the border."
The line in the Disney+ series stirred controversy online, with many Chinese social media users calling it offensive and accusing the drama of portraying China in a negative light.
"Keep the K-drama ban to the death, thank you," a Weibo user said.
"China doesn't love war, we pursue peace. This is slander," another added, according to South China Morning Post.
The backlash has also gone beyond the screen, with criticism hurled not just toward Jun's character, but against the actress as an individual in real life.
On Louis Vuitton's Weibo account, one Weibo user called for Jun's removal as a house ambassador. "Besides removing Jun Ji-hyun advertisements, quickly terminate her contracts globally. Otherwise, we'll boycott LV forever."
However, even though some Chinese users criticize Jun, others have come to her defense, arguing that she was not the one who wrote the controversial line and was simply an actress following a script.
"[It's just] fiction, guys," one X user wrote.
"Why are they blaming the actress who's just following the script? Was she the one who wrote that line?"
Reports about brands dropping Jun from ads also made the rounds, but the actress's agency, Peach Company, told Korean outlet Edaily that the cancellation of a Chinese commercial was decided before the airing of Tempest.
“We communicated with the local agency in China and were told the reports were not true,” Peach Company said, as translated by Korean outlet Soompi. "The advertisement was postponed, then canceled due to local circumstances."
Disney+, like streaming service Netflix, is not available in China.
Meanwhile, Jun is known for her roles in My Sassy Comedy, My Love from the Star, The Legend of the Blue Sea, and Netflix's Kingdom. Apart from Louis Vuitton, she's an ambassador for several brands like La Mer, Piaget, and Alexander McQueen.
