Chinese Netizens Enraged with a Scene from Anna Which was Based on Actual Events

- July 01, 2022

Chinese netizens have expressed their anger on a certain scene in the Coupang Play drama Anna, starring Suzy.

The scene in which they find offensive was when Yumi, tried to sell an expensive Swiss luxury watch given to her by her boss Hyunjoo. In the scene, However, it was revealed that the watch was actually a fake luxury brand from China. As explained by the sales clerk,

That watch is a brand that was involved in a famous scam 4 or 5 years ago. Didn't you know? The parts are from China but the screws were put in Switzerland so the watches can have that branding 'made in Switzerland/Swiss Made'.' It's only worth 100,000 KRW (~77.49 USD) at most but they got caught selling it for 8 million KRW to 10 million KRW (~6,199 USD to 7,749 USD). If someone gave you that watch recently, that person is a bad person. That watch has no value. It was a famous incident, there's no way that person didn't know about this.

On June 30, "Suzy's new drama, Anna, controversy" trended on Weibo. Chinese netizens were outraged saying it portrays China as a country that only produces counterfeits. Their comments include,

Korea always slanders China.

We don't make fake items.

Korea is spreading false information.

First off, this was actually based on a true story and it happened in 2006. It was based on the 'Vincent and Co.' incidence, where the brand sells watches that uses parts produced in China. According to news reports that time, the parts are from China, but they have them assembled in Switzerland to have the Swiss made mark. Then they were re-imported and sold as if they are high-end Swiss-made watches. These became very popular with the wealthy and second-generation chaebols.

In the drama, the real brand was even shown to make it evident that this was from real-life events.

Because of how the Chinese reacted to this scene, Koreans are saying that the Chinese are actually watching the drama illegally. As Anna is only available in South Korea through Coupang Play.

According to Coupang Play, they will not take any action on this controversy because the drama should not have been available in China in the first place.