[HanCinema's News] "Snowdrop" Under Fire for Use of Mahjong Table

"Snowdrop" has been the subject of bitter controversy in recent weeks, with many accusing the eighties-era drama of distorting history regarding South Koreas' democratization movement. Now a new line of attack has emerged, with the prominent appearance of a Mahjong table in a recent episode now alleged to be pandering to the Chinese market. The Mahjong table appears during a conversation between various middle-aged female characters.

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Mahjong is a popular board game in China. However, it is not so well-known in South Korea, and tends to be much less popular than other board games such as Go and Chinese Chess. The accusation which has disseminated online states that "Snowdrop" is seeking to make Chinese culture seem more important to South Korean history than it actually was. "Snowdrop" was produced in part by the Chinese corporation Tencent.

This is not the first time such criticism of Chinese culture appearing in South Korean dramas. "Mr. Queen" was attacked for being adapted from a Chinese novel whose author has negative opinions about Korea. "Vincenzo" and "True Beauty" were attacked for featuring product placement of Chinese brands. And perhaps most famously, "Joseon Exorcist" was canceled after only two episodes, the remainder not being broadcast, in part because of the appearance of Chinese style furniture in Joseon era Korea.

Written by William Schwartz