Jun Ji-hyun controversy highlights risks of ‘double standards’ for luxury brands

What happened Jun Ji-hyun, one of South Korea’s most bankable stars, is facing a fierce backlash in China as her new Disney+ drama sparked accusations of cultural disrespect and political distortion, prompting luxury brands to swiftly cut ties. South Korean actress Jun, best known in China for her 2013 role as Qian Songyi in hit drama My Love From the Star, is at the center of a storm after her new Disney+ series Tempest was accused of “insulting China.” The controversy centers on multiple scenes: Jun’s character asking “Why does China prefer war? Nuclear bombs could fall on the border,” a line many netizens said distorts China’s peace stance; a setting labeled “Dalian, China 2025” filmed in a rundown Hong Kong neighborhood, seen as smearing the image of a modern Chinese city; a red carpet printed with yellow stars resembling China’s national flag, trampled by characters; and a distorted recitation of Li Bai’s classic poem Bring in the Wine. Chinese viewers also criticized the drama for making villains speak Mandarin, reinforcing stereotypes. The fallout was swift. On September 19, La Mer scrubbed all Jun-related content from its Weibo and Xiaohongshu accounts and simultaneously cleared its global Instagram feed — a move widely interpreted as decisive global alignment. Piaget followed by removing Jun’s ambassador profile from its global website and pulling her ads from its China flagship store. On September 20 and 21, Louis Vuitton deleted all Jun-related posts from its Weibo. By September 22, Weibo trending topic “LV cancels all Jun Ji-hyun posts,” had drawn 1.7 million views. The Jing Take The damage to Jun's reputation is steep. Industry insiders estimate that Jun’s endorsement portfolio in China was worth hundreds of millions of yuan. Now, within 24 hours, three major luxury brands have effectively severed ties. On e-commerce platforms, even merchandise linked to My Love From the Star has been pulled. Meanwhile, Tempest’s Douban (similar to western IMDb) score has plunged from 7.1 at launch to 4.2, with more than 70% of users giving it a single star. Chinese consumers are showing little tolerance. “National dignity above idols,” became a rallying cry, with many long-time fans publicly declaring they had unfollowed the actress. Analysts note that while consumers generally view brand-endorser ties as transactional, any delay in cutting ties risks associating brands with political insensitivity. La Mer’s globally consistent response drew praise, while others initially keeping her campaign live on international accounts, sparked accusations of “double standards.” The controversy also dredges up past disputes, including Jun’s 2014 fallout over Changbai Mountain advertising and criticism tied to her role in the K-drama Kingdom. But this latest backlash underscores a shifting reality for global brands: Chinese consumers today are highly sophisticated, monitoring not only domestic platforms but also international social media to detect inconsistencies. Moves seen as “China-only” fixes, risk being branded as insincere. For luxury houses, alignment with consumer values is non-negotiable — national dignity remains a red line that overrides star power. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

Brands under fire in China after Jun Ji-hyun drama stirs outrage

Upgrade to Pro

Sectors

Insights

Company

Brands under fire in China after Jun Ji-hyun drama stirs outrage