South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun’s starring role in the Disney+ Korean drama “Stormquake” has been highly acclaimed since its premiere on September 10th. Many fans eagerly watched their idol’s new show. Jun Ji-hyun, who plays the role of UN Ambassador Heo Won-joo, caused controversy in episode 4 with her line “Why does China prefer war,” which incited anger from Chinese internet users who threatened to boycott.
After a four-year hiatus, the 43-year-old Jun Ji-hyun made her return to the screen in “Stormquake.” The drama follows former UN Ambassador Heo Won-joo (Jun Ji-hyun) who gets entangled in a political storm affecting North and South Korea after her husband Jeong Moo-sik (Park Hae-jun) is assassinated. She decides to run for president and teams up with the mysterious mercenary Baek San-ho (Jang Dong-yoon) to uncover the truth. The two go from distrust to gradually forming a bond amidst a world of power and conspiracy, embarking on a profound and secretive espionage romance.
Jun Ji-hyun’s portrayal of presidential candidate Heo Won-joo sparked controversy with her line in episode 4: “Why does China prefer war?” This led to backlash from Chinese netizens who accused it of smearing China’s image and criticized the disconnect between the dialogue and reality.
Some Chinese internet users threatened with statements like “Continue the Korean ban” and “If China prefers war, South Korea wouldn’t exist as a country.” Others commented, “No wonder I don’t like watching Korean dramas,” “This is clearly insulting China, strengthen the Korean ban,” among other negative remarks.
Certain netizens directly criticized Jun Ji-hyun, stating, “She has lost all the goodwill she built up in China over 20 years,” “Cheon Song-yi’s (Note: Jun Ji-hyun’s character in ‘My Love from the Star’) image is shattered,” “I no longer have any positive feelings towards her,” “Please, study more,” “We do not welcome those who insult China,” “She should remember her ancestral roots are in Shandong.” In fact, Jun Ji-hyun had denied rumors about her ancestral origins being in Shandong years ago.
Some netizens pointed out that the drama intentionally depicted China’s cityscape in an unflattering light. Filmed in Hong Kong with signage in traditional Chinese characters labeled as “Dalian, China,” the scenes were portrayed as dilapidated, appearing like slums with a dark color filter. This led to criticism from some mainland Chinese internet users calling for a firm boycott, strengthening the Korean ban, and distancing themselves from Jun Ji-hyun.
While some netizens suggested, “If they want to label it as Dalian, it would have been more appropriate to film in Dalian directly instead of Hong Kong,” others believed the external reactions were exaggerated, emphasizing that every region has its rundown areas and not necessarily a deliberate attempt to malign.