Actor Jun Ji-hyun’s agency refuted claims that a Chinese commercial was canceled due to some controversial dialogue in the Disney+ drama series, “Tempest.”

“The advertisement in question was postponed before the drama aired,” her agency Peachy Company said on Tuesday. “The timing of the issues led to a misunderstanding, but the ad postponement and the drama are unrelated.”


A report earlier claimed that Jun was scheduled to film an advertisement for a Chinese clothing brand in Seoul on Thursday, but the shoot was canceled due to growing anti-China sentiment.

The controversy stems from a line in the show “Tempest,” in which Jun portrays presidential candidate Seo Mun-ju, a former United Nations ambassador. In one scene, she says, “Why does China prefer war? A nuclear bomb could fall near the border.”

According to Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily and other outlets, Chinese audiences have criticized the line as an insult to China. The backlash has reportedly led to a boycott of products Jun endorses, including cosmetics and watches.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]