Jun Ji-hyun’s ‘Tempest’ Sparks Outcry in China, Advertisers Pull Back
Sep 21, 2025
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According to local media such as Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) and the Sungdo Daily, a scene of 'Polaris' has recently become controversial on Chinese SNS. Jeon Ji-hyun is playing the role of Seo Moon-joo, a former UN ambassador-turned-presidential candidate in the work.
The scene in question is preface in episode 4 "Why does China prefer war. It is an ambassador who says, "A nuclear bomb could fall on the border."
Some Chinese Internet users expressed concern about the ambassador, saying it contains content and expressions that could give a negative impression on China.
Also "The production team deliberately damaged Dalian's city image by photographing the messy shanty town area in a dark tone.", some pointed out.
On top of that, there was a scene where a carpet with a five-star symbol representing China was stepped on and a scene where a villain in the play talked in Chinese to reinforce a negative image.
Some say it was not intended to criticize China in the context of the dialogueThere were also advocacy opinions that ", but this opinion has not received much attention in China.
The impact has spread to the advertising world. Some cosmetics and watch brands that Jun Ji-hyun is working as models have reportedly stopped exposing advertisements in China or deleted online content. Some Chinese Internet users said "You could lose your career in the Chinese market by making such a statement."
Jeon Ji-hyun is a representative Korean Wave star who gained explosive popularity in China with the drama 「My Love from the Star」 (2014) and received a love call from the local advertising industry.
Meanwhile, 'Polaris' is on the rise, recording the highest global ratings in 2025 among the original Disney+ Korean series. Jun Ji-hyun and Kang Dong-won's teamwork and solid story line are receiving favorable reviews from viewers.
tokkig@sportschosun.com
