A new controversy over the rampant sale of unauthorized Squid Game Season 2 merchandise on Chinese online marketplaces has emerged.
On Tuesday, Professor Seo Kyoung Duk of Sungshin Women’s University used social media to raise awareness. While Squid Game Season 2 is captivating global audiences, major Chinese e-commerce sites are flooding the market with unlicensed merchandise, sparking outrage,” Seo shared. Thanks to numerous tip-offs from online users, I investigated several Chinese shopping platforms and confirmed the widespread sale of these illegal goods.”
Seo’s investigation revealed a thriving market for products that unlawfully use scenes and likenesses of Squid Game Season 2 characters.
“Unlike the situation during ‘Squid Game’ Season 1, when platforms like Taobao and JD.com were at the heart of the controversy, these items didn’t appear in searches on those sites this time. However, they are easily found on platforms like Temu and AliExpress,” Seo explained. “Most of these products are manufactured in China, and the unauthorized use of Squid Game actors’ likenesses is especially problematic.”
Seo also pointed out that when Season 1 launched, vendors hawking counterfeit costumes on Chinese e-commerce sites made a fortune. Based in Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post reported that some of the top-selling Squid Game items on South Korea’s Coupang platform were produced by manufacturers in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Anhui Province in China.
Seo didn’t hold back: “It’s bad enough that some Chinese internet users are pirating the show, but profiting from illegal merchandise takes things too far. This needs to stop now.”
Although Netflix is not officially available in China, Squid Game Season 2 is still being widely viewed. The Chinese content review site Douban logged over 60,000 reviews of the series within just five days of its release, indicating the scale of illegal streaming.
Seo expressed his frustration, stating, “Piracy has become so widespread in China that it’s practically the norm. Even more shocking is the total lack of shame surrounding it.”
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