In the spy romance series Tempest, Jun Ji-hyun, one of South Korea's biggest stars, plays a diplomat trying to uncover the truth behind a deadly assassination.
Why does China prefer war? A nuclear bomb could fall near the border, her character says in one episode of the new Disney+ series.
This fictional scene led to real consequences over the weekend, with many Chinese social media users taking it to be a malicious mischaracterisation of China as belligerent. Many are now calling for brands to sever ties with the Korean actress.
The uproar has also reignited debate over an unofficial Chinese ban on South Korean entertainment, which has been in place for nearly a decade.
While China has never admitted to a ban, the abrupt dearth of K-content since 2016 is widely believed to be a protest against South Korea's decision to deploy a US anti-missile system in the same year, which China perceives as a threat to its military operations in the region.
Things had appeared to be easing in recent months, with a few South Korean performers holding concerts in China. But the controversy over Tempest has triggered a new wave of support for the ban.
Keep the K-drama ban to the death, thank you, reads one Weibo comment liked by 10,000 users.
While much of the anger has coalesced around Jun's line about China, social media users have also unearthed other examples from the series that they view as offensive.
For example, scenes intended to portray Dalian city in China feature a rundown area shot in Hong Kong, leading critics to say this misrepresents China negatively.
In another scene, a group of people is seated at a table set with a carpet featuring a design resembling the Chinese flag.
Criticism intensified when Jun recited an ancient Chinese poem, with viewers panning her accent.
As a result, there has been a concerted effort against Jun on Weibo, urging brands to reconsider their collaborations with her. According to vigilant Weibo users, brands such as La Mer, Louis Vuitton, and Piaget have removed Jun from their promotional material.
Besides removing Jun Ji-hyun advertisements, quickly terminate her contracts globally. Otherwise, we'll boycott LV forever, commented one user on Louis Vuitton's Weibo account.
Jun's agency responded that her brand campaigns were unrelated to Tempest and had concluded prior to the show's debut.
Chinese consumers are known for leveraging their considerable spending power to pressure brands during perceived insults to national pride.
Some defended Jun, asserting that she did not pen the line embroiled in controversy. Jun Ji-hyun is just an actor. It is impossible for her to understand the history of a country, the emotions of the people, and the intricate relationships between countries before making a movie, remarked one user, placing responsibility on the show's crew and writers.
However, such defenses have been largely drowned out by opposing sentiments, with users stating, Even a washing machine can't whitewash something as well as you.
Jun's popularity soared with the 2001 romantic comedy My Sassy Girl, but she has been largely absent from China's entertainment market since the unofficial ban imposed in 2016.
Despite previous optimism about easing restrictions, recent events have complicated the outlook for the return of K-dramas and K-pop in China, a significant market for South Korean entertainment.
In a notable shift earlier this year, South Korea's foreign ministry hinted at potential cultural exchanges revival, but skepticism remains amid incidents such as the cancellation of K-pop concerts attributed to vague local circumstances.
