‘Narco-Saints' Threatens Safety of Koreans in Suriname – Here’s Why
Koreans in Suriname face a major crisis as the country's diplomatic relations with the South American country were affected due to Netflix's "Narco-Saints."
Amid the success of the crime action series' premiere, Suriname's government plans on taking legal action against the K-drama's producer for a misleading portrayal of the country.
Suriname Warns to Take Legal Action Against 'Narco-Saints'
In a report cited by Reuters, Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin said in an official statement that the Netflix series gave a negative image of Suriname by painting it as a "narco-state."
"Whether the practices presented ... are true or false, it's creating a negative perception. The whole world sees these things, so this is not good," the official said as posted on the government's website.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin also emphasized that the country is "no longer has the image that emerges in the series or no longer participates in these kinds of practices," due to its past, being a "crime and cross-border activities."
Because of how "Narco-Saints" depicted the country, Ramdin said that they are considering taking legal action against the producers and having a diplomatic protest against South Korea.
Embassy Issues Safety Warning to Korean Communities in Suriname
Following the announcement of Suriname's government, the South Korean embassy in Venezuela issued a safety warning to Koreans living in the country to be vigilant at all times.
As obtained by Korea Times, an official statement was released on its website, sending out an emergency notice to the Korean communities.
Based on the announcement, the "embassy staff are deeply concerned about the safety of Koreans" but promised to do their utmost to keep the community safe.
READ MORE: 'Narco-Saints' Enters Netflix's Top 10 Most Watched Series + Park Hae Soo Lauded for Playing Dual Role
Due to the possible fallout of the Netflix series, "Narco-Saints" they encourage everyone to contact "via the president of the Korean community in the region
Meanwhile, as for Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they mentioned that the department "has not received any official complaint from Suriname" from the time the K-drama was officially aired.
Moreover, they are "trying to maintain friendly relations" with Suriname's government.
Starring Hwang Jung Min, Ha Jung Woo, Park Hae Soo, Yoo Yeon Seok, Jo Woo Jin, and more, "Narco-Saints" is a Netflix original series based on a true story of a South Korean entrepreneur, Kang In Gu (Ha Jung Woo) who moves to Suriname for business.
However, he gets caught up in a drug syndicate after meeting Pastor Jeon Yo Hwan (Hwang Jung Min.)
Due to this, he was imprisoned for alleged drug trading but got intertwined with the NIS through agent Choi Chang Ho (Park Hae Soo.)
The NIS promised him a hefty amount of reward if he agrees to be their undercover agent in hopes of arresting one of South Korea's biggest drug lords.
'Narco-Saints' Among the Most-watched TV Show on Netflix
According to streaming data aggregator platform Flix Patrol, "Narco-Saints" remained at the third spot in Netflix's top 10 TV shows, next to "Cobra Kai" and "The Crown."
As of September 15, the K-drama is currently in first place in 18 countries including the Bahamas, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, and more.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Narco-Saints' Among the Top 3 Most-Watched TV Series on Netflix + Will it Be the Next 'Squid Game'?
KDramastars owns this article
Written by Geca Wills
