K-dramas have undeniably captivated audiences around the world with their unique storytelling and compelling characters. However, it isn’t uncommon for these shows to face criticism when they stumble in their portrayal of certain cultures or characters.
The latest controversy involves the popular Netflix series King the Land, which received backlash for its *insensitive* depiction of Arab culture in the 7th and 8th episodes of the show.
Instagram/jtbcdramaIn the episodes, they introduced Samir, an arrogant Arab prince played by Indian actor Anupam Tripathi. He was portrayed as a *womanizer* who enjoys drinking and was depicted as a "playboy" by Lee Jun Ho's character.
The scene sparked immediate outrage among viewers who believed that the character perpetuated *harmful* stereotypes about Arab culture. Many felt that the portrayal reinforced negative perceptions, such as associating Arabs with arrogance, excessive wealth, and promiscuity. Additionally, the fact that the character was played by an Indian actor added another layer of concern, as it raised questions about the lack of authentic representation and diversity in casting choices.
“Did King the Land really have to add this unnecessary Arab prince part and also make him an annoying dumb womanizer, plus the outfits for him and his guards? The background music? It’s the same old stereotypes mocking arabs for ‘comedy,’” says one netizen.
Twitter“I don't watch King the Land and after seeing this whole Arab prince thing, I don't think i ever want to watch [this]. I hate every piece of media when it comes to Arabs/Muslim representation like please I’d rather not see any. All of them are super offensive and rude,” says another.
TwitterIn response to the backlash, the production team swiftly issued an apology. They clarified that they had no intention to distort any specific culture but admitted their failure to fully consider the impact of their portrayal on viewers from different cultural backgrounds.
“We would like to express our deep and sincere apology for causing unnecessary inconvenience to our viewers without full consideration of other valued cultures, although we have no intention of caricaturing or distorting any particular country or culture in the process,” they said in a statement.
“It has been our sharp realization that there has been a lack of understanding, experience, and consideration for other cultures. We will do our best going forward to create content that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of where they are from and what kind of culture they have.”
They promised to thoroughly review the problematic aspects of the episodes and ensure that future content is more culturally sensitive and inclusive.
“We will take a thorough look into the part of the video which was considered problematic, and do our best to make sure that the right measures are taken. We earnestly promise to our viewers that more care will be taken down the road so that there will be no inconvenience in viewing our content.”
Instagram/jtbcdrama