Jun Ji Hyun is facing unexpected fallout in China after her new Disney+ drama Tempest sparked controversy, leading to suspended ads and heated online debate.
According to reports from the outlets, the issue began with episode 4 of Tempest. In one scene, Jun Ji Hyun’s character Moon Ju, a former UN ambassador turned presidential candidate, says: “Why does China prefer war? A nuclear bomb could fall on the border area.”
The line quickly drew backlash from Chinese netizens, who argued, “This distorts China’s image,” and “China pursues peace. This is an insult.”
The criticism soon spread to other scenes, including one that portrayed Dalian as a poor shanty town, another showing people stepping on a carpet with a five-star design, and even a villain speaking in Chinese.
Some netizens also accused Jun Ji Hyun of deliberately mispronouncing lines when quoting the famous poet Li Bai.
The controversy has even affected her endorsements. Reports revealed that some cosmetic and watch brands she represents have removed or paused their online ads in China.
This shocked many fans, as Jun Ji Hyun once enjoyed massive popularity in the country thanks to the “Cheon Song Yi syndrome” from her drama My Love From the Star.
Chinese netizens left sharp comments like, “Didn’t she realize there was a problem while saying that line? This could ruin her career in the Chinese market,” and “We believed she loved us, but this is disappointing.”
However, some came to her defense, saying, “It was the production team who wrote the line, not the actress,” and “It’s just part of the drama, not her own political opinion.”
While Tempest is seeing strong success both in Korea and globally, the controversy has cast a shadow on Jun Ji Hyun’s activities in China, raising questions about her future promotions there.
Source: [1]
