Production Team Of The JTBC Drama ‘King The Land’ Responds To The Criticism

Recently, the JTBC drama ‘King The Land’ starring Junho and YoonA has faced criticism for their disrespect for Arab culture. The controversy around the drama and its portrayal of Arab culture has been criticised by the viewers globally.

The way the Arab culture has been distorted has made the production respond to the allegations. In the drama, an Arab prince, Samir is shown as one of the richest individuals who stays at the King Hotel, where the main protagonists work. Some of the scenes show that Samir is surrounded by women, enjoying in a lavish club. He is also shown drinking alcohol and flirting with Cheon Sa Rang (female lead). 

Foreign viewers opposed the portrayal of Samir stating that showing Arab Princes as playboys and serving alcohol in the presence of Muslim character is disrespectful to their religious beliefs. Added to that, there was a controversy about anIndian actor playing the role of Arab prince. The viewers criticised it as a wrong interpretation of Arab culture. 

I was enjoying watching an episode of King of the Land, but when this scene came, I got angry. This is not what the Arabs look like! First, the non-Arab actor, Is it that difficult to bring an Arab actor? #KdramaOffendsTheArabs @SBS8news @YTN24 @KBSnews @NetflixKR

(@jtbclove) pic.twitter.com/JujSLDqOEy

— رُبـىٰ/루바✨. (@forestella44) July 10, 2023

The production team responded to the backlash by defending the drama and mentioning that the settings, characters, religions and place names used in the show are fictional and that there has been no intention to mock or make fun of any specific culture. The team assured viewers that they respect various cultures and would be more attentive to ensure that future productions do not cause any discomfort.

They addressed the questions and concerns raised by the viewers through their statement. It's time to wait and watch as to how the controversy will resolve and whether there will be any changes made in the drama due to cultural representation and criticism by the viewers. 

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