Rampant Piracy of Korean Dramas in China; Korean Scholar Says "Illegal Viewing is the Norm"
A Korean university professor pointed out that the popular Korean drama "21st Century Grand Prince's Wife" is widely viewed illegally in China, despite having no legal distribution channels like Disney+. The professor called for Chinese authorities to actively address the rampant piracy problem.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 11:58
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 12:31 (32 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 16:47 (4h 15m after Collected)
(CNA Reporter Yang Chi-fang, Seoul 23rd) The Korean drama "21st Century Grand Prince's Wife" has generated high interest. A Korean university professor posted that he found there is no legal way to watch this drama in China, yet pirated versions can be easily found via Chinese search engines, bluntly stating that "illegal viewing has become an everyday occurrence in China."
Starring popular actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok, the Korean drama "21st Century Grand Prince's Wife" is set in an alternate 21st-century Republic of Korea with a constitutional monarchy, and has recently been well-received by audiences. According to a Yonhap News report today, as the drama becomes popular both domestically and internationally, it has been discovered that some Chinese netizens are watching it through illegal means.
The report points out that the drama is currently provided globally via the streaming platform Disney+. However, because Disney+ has not officially launched in China, there are no legal viewing channels there.
Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, stated through his personal social media platform today, "China's largest review site Douban has already created a review page for the drama. As of today, about 10,000 people have participated in rating it, accumulating about 4,000 reviews." He noted that it is particularly easy to find free streaming sites when searching for this work on Baidu, China's largest portal site.
Seo Kyoung-duk said, "Nowadays in China, illegal viewing has become routine, and what's even more shocking is that there seems to be absolutely no sense of shame about it." He emphasized that Chinese authorities should now actively intervene, clearly explain the problems of illegal behavior to their citizens, and take measures to prevent similar situations from recurring. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150423
Starring popular actors IU and Byeon Woo-seok, the Korean drama "21st Century Grand Prince's Wife" is set in an alternate 21st-century Republic of Korea with a constitutional monarchy, and has recently been well-received by audiences. According to a Yonhap News report today, as the drama becomes popular both domestically and internationally, it has been discovered that some Chinese netizens are watching it through illegal means.
The report points out that the drama is currently provided globally via the streaming platform Disney+. However, because Disney+ has not officially launched in China, there are no legal viewing channels there.
Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, stated through his personal social media platform today, "China's largest review site Douban has already created a review page for the drama. As of today, about 10,000 people have participated in rating it, accumulating about 4,000 reviews." He noted that it is particularly easy to find free streaming sites when searching for this work on Baidu, China's largest portal site.
Seo Kyoung-duk said, "Nowadays in China, illegal viewing has become routine, and what's even more shocking is that there seems to be absolutely no sense of shame about it." He emphasized that Chinese authorities should now actively intervene, clearly explain the problems of illegal behavior to their citizens, and take measures to prevent similar situations from recurring. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150423