Chinese netizens have expressed scathing criticism about how China is portrayed in the Disney+ original drama ''Polaris,'' whose lead role is played by Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun.

Jun Ji-hyun appears as Seo Moon-joo, a former U.N. ambassador and presidential candidate in the political thriller.

According to Hong Kong's Sungdo Daily, in one of her scenes, which was heavily edited and shared online within China, her character asks, "Why does China prefer war? A scene in which a nuclear bomb may fall on the border."

One Chinese netizen showed discontent with this depiction, telling Sungdo Daily, "The line distorts China's image and is far from the reality,"

Maeil Business Newspaper also reported that the drama's portrayal of Dalian, a city in northeastern China, also came under criticism. The location was Hong Kong, where the dark, dilapidated shanty town was filmed, and some interpreted this as a deliberate attempt to sully the city's reputation.

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A Weibo user said, "Filming Dalian as a dirty, chaotic setting is clearly a deliberate attempt to ruin the city's image."

Other areas of controversy were a scene in which a five-star emblem-bearing carpet, similar to the Chinese national flag, was trodden on and another in which a bad guy spouts Chinese, both of which netizens claim perpetuate negative stereotypes.

Some Chinese viewers also accused Jun Ji-hyun of deliberately mispronouncing a line from a poem by ancient Chinese poet Li Bai (701–762). One comment read, "She twisted the tone of a classic verse — it felt mocking."

The backlash has reignited discussions on Weibo about maintaining the Korean Wave restrictions, commonly called the "Hallyu Ban." One leading post argued, "Now is not the time to lift the ban."

While Disney+ and Netflix are not officially on sale in mainland China, many viewers watch Korean dramas via unofficial means, causing immediate and widespread online responses.

The debacle goes beyond entertainment to impact Jun Ji-hyun's endorsements with cosmetics and luxury watch brands, with some now calling for boycotts against the star.

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