Signs have emerged that "Teach You a Lesson," a popular Netflix original series, is being illegally distributed in China.
Seo Gyeong-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, took to Facebook on Thursday to expose the illegal viewing of "Teach You a Lesson" by some Chinese internet users and urged Chinese authorities to crack down on the practice.
According to Seo, a review page for "Teach You a Lesson" has been set up and is running on Douban, China's largest content review site.
As of Thursday, about 140,000 users had submitted star ratings on the page, with more than 50,000 written reviews posted.
Netflix does not officially operate in China. Chinese users are believed to be searching for free streaming sites through Baidu, the country's largest portal, to watch content illegally.
This is not the first time illegal viewing of Korean content in China has sparked controversy. A number of popular titles — including "K-Pop Demon Hunters," "Squid Game," "Black and White Chef" and "The Glory" — have previously been distributed without authorization, drawing criticism at home and abroad.
"Illegal viewing has become routine in China, and what is truly astounding is that there appears to be no sense of shame whatsoever," Seo said.
He urged Chinese authorities to take more proactive action, saying the normalization of illegal viewing could no longer be left unaddressed. "Intensive crackdowns on illegal activity within China and measures to prevent recurrence are urgently needed," he said.
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