MBC drama Perfect Crown has become the latest target of rampant illegal viewing in China, following Netflix’s Squid Game Season 3, When Life Gives You Tangerines.
Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University revealed on his social media that Perfect Crown is suffering damages due to illegal streaming by some Chinese netizens.
The drama is available globally via Disney+ and is drawing major buzz, but it does not have an official release in China. Even so, as of the 23rd, China’s review site Douban already has a dedicated page for Perfect Crown, with over 10,000 users rating it and more than 4,000 reviews posted—clear evidence that illegal viewing of Korean content continues in China.
Professor Seo pointed out, “If you search for Perfect Crown on Baidu, China’s largest portal, you can easily find free streaming sites,” adding, “Illegal viewing has become routine in China.” He stressed, “What’s worse is the lack of awareness. It’s time for Chinese authorities to step in, correct these illegal acts, and prevent them from happening again.”
Netizens reacted by saying, “They only pirate the fun ones,” and, “They did the same with ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines.’”
Meanwhile, Perfect Crown stars IU and Byeon Woo-seok. Set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy version of Korea, it follows the fate-defying romance between a chaebol heiress who seemingly has it all and the king’s son who has nothing.