When Life Gives You Tangerines hit with illegal streaming surge in China amid Netflix and Hallyu ban

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When Life Gives You Tangerines, the slice-of-life K-drama set against the stunning backdrop of South Korea’s Jeju Island, has become Netflix’s newest hit. The show, revolving around the story of Oh Ae Sun and Yang Gwan Sik currently sits at no. 2 on Netflix’s non-English list on Tudum, with 6 million views this week alone. It also claimed the top spot in 8 countries, maintaining a position in the top 10 for two weeks. But as the show gains massive traction in China, concerns about unauthorised viewing have started to surface.

Professor Seo Kyung Duk from Sungshin Women’s University pointed out a similar pattern when another K-drama hit, Squid Game Season 2, was released last year. “In China, illegal streaming has practically become the norm,” he said, (Via KBIZoom) adding that those engaging in such activities show no shame or remorse, which makes the situation even more troubling.

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Earlier this year, reports suggested that China might lift its ban on K-content, but no updates have surfaced since. Meanwhile, China remains a hotbed for controversy regarding the unauthorised use of K-content, including exploiting the images of top Hallyu stars and producing fake merchandise. Although the Chinese government hasn’t openly confirmed a ban, the distribution of South Korean content has been heavily restricted over time.

“Instead of making absurd claims that Korea is stealing Chinese culture, they should first learn to respect the content of other countries,” Professor Seo said, urging Chinese netizens to fix their own actions before making baseless claims about others.

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According to Deadline, back in February, a Chinese official handling the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 2026 told the Korea Economic Daily that the country is looking forward to strengthening its relationship with South Korea. Reportedly, China also plans to send a cultural delegation to South Korea to begin cultural exchanges by May. The ban on Korean entertainment in China has affected both Korea’s entertainment industry and the Chinese box office. The KDB Future Strategy Research Institute stated that the ban cost Korean industries up to $15.3 billion in 2017. Finally, Korean director Bong Joon Ho’s new film Mickey 17, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, was released in China on March 7, marking a new era.