Netflix Korea is under fire after a controversial social media interaction involving the K-Drama My Sweet Mobster.
The official Netflix Korea Instagram account, @netflixkr, shared a clip celebrating the show's premiere, featuring leads Um Tae Goo and Han Sun Hwa, a former member of the girl group SECRET turned actress.
The post, highlighting a scene where Han Sun Hwa's character, Eun Ha, playfully bombards Um Tae Goo's character, Ji Hwan, with aegyo (cute behavior), seemed innocent enough.
However, the account's decision to pin and respond to a particular comment has sparked significant criticism.
The pinned comment in question referred to Um Tae Goo as a "king" who was too great to be seduced by Han Sun Hwa, dismissively calling her an "ahjumma.
" The term "ahjumma" is commonly used in Korea to address older or middle-aged women, and its use in this context was seen as derogatory, given that Han Sun Hwa is not considerably older and is, in fact, seven years younger than her male co-star.
@netflixkr's response, "It's cuter that way," only fueled the backlash, with many K-Drama fans and netizens expressing their discomfort and anger at the official account's interaction with a comment they deemed disrespectful.
"Is Netflix out of their mind?" one user commented.
Another added,"Who are they calling an ahjumma? Even children know Han Sun Hwa as unnie or noona. There's no need to stomp on a woman to hype up a man."
As the criticism mounted, Netflix Korea deleted the interaction entirely, but the damage was already done.
Screenshots of the comment and @netflixkr's response circulated widely online, leading to even more backlash.
Many users demanded an apology, arguing that deleting the comments and pretending nothing happened was insufficient.
"What kind of a social media person would use the official account to pin and interact with a hater comment that is disrespectful toward one of the cast members?" a user wrote.
"Better apologize and explain yourself."
The incident has drawn attention to the sensitivity required in managing official social media accounts, particularly when it comes to interactions that could be seen as dismissive or disrespectful.
Here are other comments from the online community theqoo:
As of now, Netflix Korea has not issued a formal apology or statement regarding the incident, but the controversy continues to stir heated discussions among fans and netizens alike.
READ MORE: THIS Second Lead Couple Is Stealing the Show With Their Slow-Burn Romance in 'My Sweet Mobster
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This article was written by:
Rovelyn Barba