Coupang Play’s drama “Anna,” starring Bae Suzy, angers Chinese netizens after a scene of the counterfeit luxury watch based on the 2006 infamous “Vincent & Co. incident” that made headlines back in the day.
In the second episode, Bae’s character Yumi tries to resell a Swiss watch gifted by her boss Hyunjoo. She believed that this was an expensive watch. In response, the store clerk told her that the watch was from a brand involved in a famous scam dating back four or five years ago. The parts of the watch came from China, but the screws and assembly took place in Switzerland. Hence, the watches were branded “made in Switzerland/Swiss Made.” The store clerk stated its true worth was 100,000 KRW but got caught selling for 8 to 10 million KRW.
This scene is based on the Vincent&Co. incident, where it was discovered that the brand was sourcing cheap parts from China. The watches were marketed as luxury items worn by members of the royal families in Europe. The watch became all the rage, with the wealthy class and second-generation Chaebols being their primary customers. However, investigations by news outlets revealed that the company only assembled parts in Switzerland so it could be labeled “Swiss Made.”
The scene drew negative attention in China, trending on Weibo with netizens condemning the show. They accuse the drama and South Korea of spreading false information and slandering China.
Several netizens commented that the scene was based on a real event, and it is not a historical thing either. Counterfeiting products remains a problem in China. South Korean fans and netizens mentioned that Chinese viewers might be watching the show through illegal means as the drama is exclusively streamed on Coupang Play. The platform is not licensed to operate in China, nor is the drama officially allowed for distribution.
Coupang Play told Maeil Business that they will not respond to the controversy as “Anna” is only available for streaming in South Korea.
Sources: AllKPop, Yahoo! News
