Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University has spoken out against recent controversy in China surrounding the Disney+ drama Polaris.

On September 24, Seo posted on his social media: "Chinese netizens are free to share their opinions after watching the drama. But the fact that they even saw it in the first place reveals they pirated the content, since Disney+ isn't available in China."

He strongly criticized what he called an attempt to tarnish Korean content, adding, "They stole someone else's work and yet shamelessly nitpick and attack—it's ridiculous."

The issue began on September 21, when clips from Episode 4 of Polaris circulated on Chinese online communities. In one scene, Jun Ji-hyun's character says: "Why does China favor war? A nuclear bomb could fall on the border zone." The line drew backlash from Chinese viewers, with Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily reporting that many felt the dialogue damaged China's image and was unrealistic.

Further complaints followed. Netizens accused the production team of deliberately avoiding Dalian as a filming location and instead depicting Hong Kong as a slum, thereby "tarnishing the city's reputation." Others objected to scenes where a carpet bearing China's five-star symbol was stepped on, and where villains spoke in Chinese, claiming it reinforced negative stereotypes.

In response, Seo pointed out: "If they had a problem with the dialogue, the proper channel would have been to raise it with the producers who aired it. The reality is that Korean content has gained such global influence that Chinese netizens are feeling threatened."