‘Little Women’ K-drama to be removed from Netflix in Vietnam over Vietnam War depiction

October 7, 2022

The South Korean remake of “Little Women” will be removed from Netflix in Vietnam over its depiction of the Vietnam War.

The Vietnamese government requested the streaming giant remove the K-drama from its Vietnam platform on Thursday. “Little Women” is reportedly expected to be removed later this week.

The removal was requested over depictions of the Vietnam War that violated Vietnamese Press Law. The violations reportedly occurred in Episodes 3 and 8, where there were depictions and commentary regarding the Vietnamese War, which had more than 320,000 Korean soldiers deployed to the country.

In the episodes, a Korean military veteran brags about his achievements, stating that the “kill-to-death ratio” for Korean troops was 20:1 (20 Viet Cong soldiers killed for each dead Korean soldier). The episodes also included other forms of allegedly discriminatory slang directed at Vietnamese soldiers during the war.

The episodes purportedly break Clause 4, Article 9 of the Vietnamese Press Law, also known as sovereignty laws. The law prohibits broadcasts with information that incite war, distort history, insult Vietnam or contradict the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The K-drama “Little Women” is a modern-day adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel first published in 1868. The tvN production stars Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, Park Ji-hu and Squid Game’s Wi Ha-jun, among others. The show’s plot centers around the lives of three sisters who seize the opportunity to escape a life of poverty for one of wealth. The trio enters the world of Korea’s wealthiest families, becoming embroiled in its controversies, betrayals and danger.

Featured Image via The Swoon

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