K-Drama “Little Women” Removed From Vietnam Due To “Distortion Of History”

K-Drama Little Women has been receiving rave reviews globally. The show was well-loved for its perfect plot and acting, featuring big names such as Kim Go Eun and Wi Ha Joon. Despite this, it has since fallen from grace with Vietnamese audiences thanks to a scene in episode 8.

In episode 8, a war veteran from South Korea was seen bragging about the “kill-to-death” ratio between South Korean troops and the Viet Cong (the communist army). In the scene, the veteran claimed that Korean troops could kill between 20 to 100 Vietnamese troops each. The character also stated that “Korean troops were the heroes of the Vietnam War,” sparking a huge uproar.

월남전쟁 왜곡 때문에 '작은아씨들' 베트남넷플에서 방영중단 되었네요. "한국 군인이 베트콩 병사 20명을 죽일수 있다, 어떤 군인은 100명까지 죽였다 "
"한국 군인은 베트남 전쟁 영웅이다"등 이런 작중대사 때문에 드라마 보이콧하고 있다고.. pic.twitter.com/2hwff7RxcN

— 월복 (@lichsu_viet) October 6, 2022

Vietnamese audiences alleged that this was a “distortion of history” as they did not agree with the claims. While some international fans of the show argued that since it was referring to the Viet Cong, the communist armed organization, it didn’t matter anyway as the Viet Cong were also seen as an antagonist of sorts. However, many were on the side of the Vietnamese audience, citing that a foreign drama should not be commenting on sensitive issues to any nation such as war and death.

While Vietnamese fans are rightfully outraged at the insensitivity, Korean netizens are fully on the side of the Vietnamese audience.

• “If it were me, I’d be upset too so I get them.”
• “But even when I watched the show, I wondered how the Vietnamese would think about it. We too, can’t help but react sensitively when it’s content to do with the war with Japan.”
• “While I don’t think it’s beautifying anything as the scene was about the standard of the crap that a cult leader spouts but I do think that the Vietnamese would be upset after hearing that.”
• “As I watched it, I scoffed too.”
• “It’s a sensitive issue so I get it.”

The producer or writer has yet to comment on the issue. Little Women continues to air in other countries.